The Little Things
by newgirl87
Summary: I guess this is AU, but not in the beginning. Maria helps the Captain keep the children safe from the Nazis. Takes place after the boat accident and becomes AU after the party scene.
1. A Request

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When she was a child, Maria had no one who would sing lullabies to her. She had always felt mildly deprived because of this and made a point to sing to the younger children of Captain von Trapp before their bedtime and their naps. Marta was the first to become very insistent on this routine. If she was preparing for bed Maria was singing. Not long after, Gretl took her hints from Marta and also begged Maria for song before bed. Or a nap. Or nearly any time they were in the nursery for longer than a few minutes. And this is what Maria found herself doing, not a day after she had been fired, and then reprieved, for Gretl as the girl settled down for her nap.

She finished the last chorus of a song about a wayfaring stranger and checked her sleeping ward. The little girl had her hand firmly wrapped around her doll, Polly, and was deep in sleep. Without making a noise, something she had only just learned how to do around small sleeping children, Maria left the room to return to the six other children waiting for her.

She ran down the stairs to meet the children. As soon as she entered the drawing room she was bombarded by the children and their questions:

"Can't we go outside, even if it's raining?" Kurt was always keen to be as messy as he could.

"No, I want to stay inside and read, please Fraulein Maria?" Brigitta never left to go anywhere without a book in her hand.

"You remember what father said, we're to send Fraulein Maria to his office." Liesl's voice broke through the others, and Maria found her face falling. She had been at the Von Trapp mansion without the Captain for so long, she had forgotten that he might want to know what she had planned for the day.

"Well, then I'd better go see him. I want you all to think about what we can do while it's raining. Something inside." She added, seeing Kurt's hopeful face, "And something, if at all possible, that we can all take part in!" With that, Maria turned on her heel and marched across the hallway to the Captain's office.

"Come in, Fraulein." The Captain's voice sounded before she had even knocked and she allowed herself to wonder briefly if he knew everything that went on in his household or if she was just plain loud.

"You wished to see me, Captain?" She asked, standing in the doorway. Without looking at her, he beckoned her forward from his seat at his desk. She took one large step forward. She was taking her example from Frau Schmidt, whom she had only seen standing partially in the room.

"Yes." He still had not looked at her, "I did."

He finished writing and placed his pen on the desk before he turned to glance at her. He chuckled slightly.

"Please, I promise this to be very different from our last encounter." He waved her in again, this time standing. He fixed his coat and stood up straighter, eyeing her dress yet again. The Captain had a curious habit of looking her over every time he saw her. She couldn't imagine how many dresses she would have to make before he found one he felt he could approve.

She stepped in again and was nearly standing next to him. He gave her his trademark smirk. She sighed knowing he still didn't think she looked like a governess. He walked passed her and closed the door gently. This puzzled her, and she began to worry he had changed his mind again and was simply going to ask her to pack her bags; regardless of what he said to the contrary.

He smiled again as he walked back past her and extended his arm towards a chair in the center of the room, inviting her to sit down. She nodded her thank you and took the opportunity to remove her eyes from the Captain and look around the room. Everything in it was made almost entirely of wood - the bookshelves, the furniture, the desk, were all hand made with beautifully intricate ornaments. The bookshelves were extensive and there was a part of her that wished to go up and look through all the material. She wondered what a Captain of an Imperial Navy would read. She looked back at the Captain as he maneuvered his desk chair to sit in front of her.

His hands were folded in front of him and he leaned forward. She unconsciously mimicked his posture and waited for him to speak. He took a moment to collect his thoughts.

"Captain?" She asked, she could not helping feeling slightly impatient. Her abilities in reading the Captain's actions had grown, and she knew that anything that warranted a closed door and a quiet Captain usually meant something of grave importance.

"Hmm? Oh yes," He laughed lightly, obviously startled by her lack of decorum. Strangely, that laugh always sent chills through her body. He began, "I'm sorry to have to share this with you, it's not pleasant, I'm afraid, no, not pleasant at all."

Her eyes squinted in worry and she inclined her head closer to him. He was speaking rather softly.

"I'm not sure how aware you are, of current events, but there have been terrible things happening." He swallowed and looked her directly in the eyes. She nodded, she had seen various headlines and had overheard some of his political discussions with Herr Deitweiler. She knew the world was in a slight panic. But she wondered what any of it could do with her.

"Yes, Captain." She waited for him to continue.

"To put it simply, the Nazis are gathering more and more troops from all across Europe. Their wish is for new military leaders to join them, support their cause" He let out a deep breath, "Military leaders retired or otherwise."

She realized he was talking about himself and tried to ignore the painful direction she saw his words taking.

"If these military leaders refuse to join, they are killed," she inhaled sharply and he moved closer, his low voice almost vibrating in her chest, "and so are their families."

She gasped, moving physically away from him as though he had threatened her and not simply given frightful foreboding news. Her hand went to her chest as she stared at him, searching his eyes, praying what he was suggesting was not true.

"Captain, have they - "

"They have not spoken with me, but they will." He stood up and started pacing in front of her. She nearly joined him, the tension being too much. Instead, she turned in her seat to follow his movements. Her eyes never left his face. "Should they call for me, I need my children prepared to leave, instantly."

"Of course, Captain." She took a calming breath, "But, is this likely to happen soon? Would you like me to tell the children?"

"No, absolutely not." The Captain raised his voice as his eyes sharpened, "My children are not to be made aware of anything, I do not want them to go through their days in fear. As for when this is likely to happen, I cannot say. But, if it happens while you are still here, I need to know that I can rely on you."

"Absolutely, Captain." her reply was instant. He stopped pacing to turn and look at her. He seemed surprised at her eagerness.

"Fraulein, it is very likely you will have to leave Austria," His eyes pierced her own, "and, for that matter, Nonnberg." She understood: he had to make sure she was aware of the risk, of the loss she might endure for the sake of his children; that he could well and truly count on her.

"Austria does not hold a monopoly on convents, Captain. The children's lives are far more important than that." He nodded to her response and then confused her by smiling. It was a real smile, his full smile. It was a smile that she found impossible to resist returning.

"Thank you, Fraulein." His eyes were twinkling like they had the day before, when he heard his children singing. She suddenly realized how warm the room had become.

"Is that all, Captain." She did not want to sound dismissive of such dire events, but the children were expecting her, and she knew they feared her termination as their governess as much as she did. They would be restless until she returned. The Captain paused a moment in his pacing, still staring at her. She felt as though the heat from his gaze was warming her face.

"Yes, Fraulein." He nodded to himself, and made his way back to his desk. "I shall keep you informed of any necessary preparations." His voice had returned to its normal timbre and his smile had been replaced with his typical smirk.

She stood, feeling dismissed, but not entirely sure. The Captain waved to the door. "You may go, Maria."

She returned to the drawing room, where the children begged her to teach them a new song. It was the one activity they could all agree upon. It was only in the middle of explaining the proper way to yodel that she realized the Captain had called her by her given name, sans the Fraulein. She found herself smiling a bit broader than usual for the rest of the day.

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	2. Small Problem

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"But I want to pick flowers first!" Marta had become very demanding in the past few days. It was a trait Maria found extremely difficult to contain, even if she realized Marta was only copying her father's behavior. She smiled as she thought of this. The children were finally beginning to know their father and it couldn't be helped if some of his more annoying habits were being bestowed on them. In fact, it was a part of something good.

"We've hiked a long way, Marta. The others are hungry. Aren't you, dear?" Maria stopped walking, breathing deeply, having made it up the large hill they'd been climbing. The other children had already reached the top and were surveying a good spot to stop and eat their lunch.

"No. I want to pick the flowers!" Marta said, not only demanding, but as stubborn as her father as well.

Maria sighed, the children were usually so wonderful that sometimes she was surprised when they became rebellious.

"I'm sorry Marta, but sometimes you have to do what other people would like you to do instead of what you want to do. Especially with your siblings." Maria kept her voice firm, but gentle. The little girl pouted for a bit but soon joined her brothers and sisters with a smile. She noticed the chocolate cake Liesl had just produced from one of the bags. Chocolate was Marta's favorite. Maria smiled as she walked over to the children, watching them set up their blankets.

"It's too bad we didn't come here yesterday, then we could have slid down the mud on the hill!" Kurt said. One time they were up on the hill the heavens had opened and drenched them all. But the children had been far too excited to be bothered by the down pour once Maria had suggested a little mud sliding. Kurt was keen to do it again. Maria laughed at him.

"Kurt do you think of anything besides the mud and dirt?" Maria asked, teasingly.

"Yes. I think about food." Kurt's response was hindered by the large bite of sandwich he had in his mouth. Maria understood anyway and chuckled slightly at his honesty. The boy smiled up at her. He loved making people laugh.

"Fraulein Maria, I just noticed, why didn't you bring your guitar?" Louisa asked, looking slightly troubled.

"I'm afraid one of the strings broke" Maria explained. The girl was disappointed by this news. "I plan to fix it as soon as I have time to go into town."

"Oh, might we go with you?" Liesl was always interested to see the marketplace. She had taken to window shopping and was being nudged by Maria to talk to her father to see if he might take her there himself.

"Perhaps." Maria softened her vague response with a smile, one that Liesl returned with understanding.

"Fraulein Maria, is it true Uncle Max is buying us all puppets?" Brigitta asked finally looking up from her book. Maria observed carefully: Friedrich had been eyeing Brigitta's book for quite some time, it was only a matter of moments before he stole it from her.

"I believe so, yes." Maria caught Friedrich's eye and gave him a soft look of warning. The boy blushed at being caught before he had even done anything.

The children finished their meal and each went off to do the activity of their choosing. Maria understood why they loved having picnic's in the hills. Each child had the opportunity to do whatever they pleased while still being outdoors and with their siblings. Maria watched each of them: Liesl helped Marta and Gretl pick flowers; Friedrich and Kurt kicked a football around; Louisa was looking for various wildlife; and Brigitta sat next to Maria reading her book. A sense of peace lingered in Maria's chest as she watched the children. She felt this is what happiness was.

That peace was quickly shattered, as it usually was, by one of the children screaming her name.

"Fraulein Maria! Fraulein Maria!" It was Louisa. Maria stood up in alarm and ran to where the girl was huddled behind some bushes.

As Maria hurriedly ran towards her, her heart beat manically. Thoughts raced through her mind, all coming to worse conclusions than the last. She nearly buckled in relief when she found Louisa. She was crouched down amongst the carnations a broad smile plastered her face. Next to her was the cause of her excitement: a small brown puppy. The little dog was wagging its tail fiercely and trying to lick Louisa's face. The girl was all to happy to oblige him.

"Can we keep it, Fraulein Maria? Please?" Louisa was so rarely excited about anything that Maria almost agreed to her pleading just to see her smile like that more often. But, she could only guess what the Captain would say about a dog in the house; and they didn't know if the dog was healthy, or if it already belonged to someone.

The other children quickly joined them and they all hurried forward to pet the puppy. The little dog yelped in excitement. The only child that wasn't with the dog, Maria noted, was Brigitta. She was standing behind her governess, eyeing the dog warily.

"Oh please, Fraulein Maria?" It was Gretl's turn to beg. Maria raised her eyes heavenward finding it hard to ignore the bright pleading faces of the children surrounding her. Maria, unable to speak the words, simply shook her head. The children moaned in unison.

"But he's so little!"

"Isn't he just adorable, Fraulein Maria?"

"He needs a home, can't you see?"

"No." Maria finally found her voice. She surprised herself at how stern she sounded. The children's objections immediately stopped also surprised by their governess. They were stunned by her lack of geniality. She added, "I'm sorry, I know he's little, but we cannot take him. He may belong to someone, he may have diseases. And look at your sister, she's trembling just looking at him."

She rested her hand on Brigitta's shoulder silently comforting her. The girl had a vice grip around her waist. The other children nodded reluctantly. They didn't want their sister to be frightened. They each said goodbye to the dog, patting him on his head, he wagged his tail and licked every one of them. The dog continued to yelp at them as they made their way back to the blankets.

"I supposed we should go back." Louisa said as she began gathering their belongings. The other children followed her lead. Maria found herself staring agape at the sight before her. Everyone was moving slowly as they packed, none of them bothered to look at her. She had never seen the children so despondent, except for when they used to talk about their father. Luckily that had changed, and she hoped this moment of sorrow would disappear quickly.

"Are you sure? We haven't been up here for very long." Maria tried to reason, but the children continued their packing. Marta sniffled slightly and Maria moved to console the girl. Liesl beat her to it. She sent Maria a look that clearly stated, "_this is your fault_". Maria stepped back in surprise, slightly hurt by the sight. Finding herself at a loss for what to do, she too helped pack up the extra food.

They made their way down the hill, the little ones hanging on carefully to Liesl and Friedrich. Brigitta was the only one that walked next to Maria. Her hand quickly shot out to grab Maria's arm when a loud bark was heard behind them. Everyone turned to look and saw the small puppy following them down the hill. The children beamed as they watched their little follower. None of them said a word, however, but each took a turn to provide Maria with a smug look before heading down the rest of the hill. Much to Maria's dismay and fear of the Captain's reaction, the little brown dog followed them the rest of the way

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	3. Concerns

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"No." The Captain's decision was instantaneous. They were all standing in the gardens overlooked by the veranda, the little puppy sat on Louisa's feet. The children spoke simultaneously trying to win their father's affection for the dog.

"But father, he can't just stay out here all by himself!" Gretl cried.

"No, Gretl. We have no place for a dog." The Captain's voice was reminiscent of the Captain Maria had met on her first day: stern but with a hint of a smile, at least when he spoke to Gretl.

"Father, please, he -" Friedrich cut himself off with a large sneeze. Everyone stared at him and he smiled back sheepishly.

The Captain didn't smile, or smirk as was his wont to do. Maria, along with the children were aware of the Captain's displeasure. He seemed startled by Friedrich's sneeze, and there was an unease in his voice as he spoke:

"You are allergic."

"No, father, I'm no-" He sneezed again.

Again, the Captain did not smile, or offer his blessings and the children began to falter in their pleadings. The Baroness watched on, trying to hold back her laughter – Maria had caught her like this when she'd fallen out of the boat. It made their match so perfect, the Captain and the Baroness, they both seemed to allow their playful side to reside right next to their more polished side.

"Perhaps, father's right." Liesl said. The other children glared at their traitorous older sister.

"We wouldn't want Friedrich sneezing all of the time." Liesl reasoned.

"Then Friedrich can live outside instead!" Louisa countered. Maria couldn't help the laugh that escaped her, a laugh she quickly quieted as she earned a hard look from the Captain.

"Go inside and wash up. I will deal with the dog." The Captain said, looking around to all his children.

"What are you going to do with it, father?" Kurt asked as they were marched inside.

"Just go inside and wash up," was his only response. This seemed to set off the children's fears. As they walked inside they each wondered what their father was going to do to the dog. Each child seemed to come up with a more gruesome idea than the others. It was only until Louisa suggested that their father might boil the dog and serve it for supper that Maria finally stopped their discussion and tried to move the conversation away from the dog.

"Marta, why don't you ask your Uncle Max about the puppets." Maria offered, whispering to her.

The little girl hesitated, still disturbed by Louisa's outlandish imagination. After a brief moment of indecision, Marta walked up to Herr Detweiler and tugged gently on his jacket.

"Are you really getting all of us puppets, Uncle Max?" Marta asked.

"No, my dear," He paused dramatically as he watched her face fall slightly, "I'm getting you an entire puppet show!"

All the children heard the news and immediately went to interrogate their poor Uncle, trying to wrangle more details, ignoring their now absent father's orders to wash up. Their excitement seemed to overshadow their fears for the puppy. As soon as the Captain reappeared the Children rushed from Herr Detweiler, nodded to the Baroness and left to the nursery, Maria followed hurriedly behind them.

The rest of the night went as smoothly as could be hoped by Maria. Their father informed them that he had tied the dog up in the gazebo so he would have shelter for the night. After a few moments of intense query from the children, he also added that a small blanket and pillow had been set up for the pup. It was with relief the children heard this, but Maria had known the Captain wouldn't be as cruel as his children seemed to think he might. She also recognized how exhausted the Captain seemed to be. He did not talk much after dinner, not even to the Baroness, and he excused himself early. She hoped nothing had happened since their talk about the Nazis.

The children were much more pleasant to work with the rest of the night, even going to bed when asked. She knew this was their way of apologizing for their earlier behavior and she readily forgave them. After singing her lullabies to the three youngest, Maria made her way to her room to retire for the night. She paused only to notice that the Captain's office door was slightly ajar and a small stream of light fell through the crack. He had left to his room so early, she thought he must have gone to bed.

The Captain was behaving rather oddly and she knew she wouldn't sleep well until she completely understood why. It was an annoying habit she was developing. The Captain's mood though normally didn't matter much to a governess, Maria was all too aware how that mood could effect the children. It was precisely this behavior that nearly alienated the children from their father in the first place and she was determined for that to never happen again. They could be such a happy family! But only when everyone was in the right mood for it. Settling in bed for the night, Maria only hoped a bit of singing might bring everyone together again, if it had worked once before, it could only work again. Right? She couldn't find the ability to agree with herself and did not sleep for most of the night.

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The dog started barking at three. Maria glanced at the clock, startled by how long she had remained awake. The poor puppy was probably cold, or lonely. She felt awful that he had to remain outside. The Captain was right, of course, and Maria struggled with her swaying feelings. She wanted the dog to be safe and happy, but she also agreed with the Captain that he could not be brought inside; not with Friedrich's allergies and Brigitta's fears.

She rolled over, pulling the covers back from her chest. Her mind was flowing at an incalculable rate. She had always been a fast thinker, come to think of it, she did everything fast. Part of what drew her to the life of a convent was the efficiency at which it was run. The faster she did things the more things she could do and that was what she was most concerned with, doing things – anything, there was so much to experience in the world. She had always assumed that if God had placed so many wonderful things on Earth than He must have done so for people to experience those wonderful things. She smiled to herself at the thought.

A noise shook her from her musings and she listened carefully. The dog was still barking and she could hear the howl of the wind outside her windows. A door slammed, she turned her head to hear better, fully alert to the sounds of the house. It sounded as though it came from the back end of the villa. Another door slammed, this time there were heavy footsteps coming from outside. She bolted out of bed, grabbing her robe as she rushed from her room.

Some of the children must have gone down to see the little puppy. She closed her door silently, not wanting to wake anyone; or anyone who still hadn't woke at the sound of the other doors. She walked swiftly down the stairs and out the door to the main patio. The dog had stopped barking. She paused a moment and looked around. She didn't see anyone at first, but heard faint voices coming from the direction of the gazebo. She moved quickly in the direction of the voices. She slowed as she heard the voices more distinctly, it was Louisa and the Captain. She paused by a tree just within earshot, not wanting to intrude but too curious to return to her room.

"Yes." The Captain was laughing softly, Louisa joined him after a moment. Maria wished she could see their faces. These singular moments with his children were just what they needed, she hoped he could do it with more of them, and not simply in the silence of night.

"Your mother was allergic too." The Captain spoke again, even softer than before, no laughter traced his voice. Maria felt her heart shudder at the agony he must still feel. "She would still be sneezing right now, hours after the dog was out of her sight."

"I wish he didn't affect Friedrich so, he's such a lovely little animal!" Louisa's voice was lighter than Maria had ever heard it. She smiled, loving how much her father effected her.

"Friedrich or the dog?" The Captain teased, and for the first time Maria heard Louisa's full laugh.

"Oh, definitely Friedrich, father." The Captain joined his daughter's laughter. Maria felt like singing; the moment was so perfect for them! She startled herself that she could actually control the urge to sing, just to listen for a few more minutes. But that was eavesdropping, which wasn't exactly a christian value, and Maria rolled her eyes at herself. She should have just returned to the villa once she knew the Captain was out there. She turned to leave and promptly tripped over a small stick. Pausing in mid-fall she glanced backwards to find the Captain and Louisa staring at her. She stood abruptly and walked towards the gazebo.

"Louisa, you'll catch a chill if you stay out here." She entered the gazebo, trying to find a reason she might have followed them. The Captain was smiling at her and Louisa had an all too knowing smirk on her face.

"We were just discussing what breed our little friend might be." The Captain, ignoring her remark, looked up at her, his eyes inviting her to join them. "Do you know anything about dogs, Fraulein?"

He was dressed in his bed clothes and his robe. She had seen him in such attire one time before, and for some reason she caught herself thinking he looked different. Perhaps it was because this time he wasn't regarding her as an unruly employee. Or perhaps it was because she wasn't used to seeing him so at ease with one of his children. Although he had made a remarkable recovery with them, he still seemed uncertain in some situations. She was proud, having noticed how he looked to her for guidance, even if it was often nonverbal. She paused in her thoughts long enough to realize the Captain had a slight beard growing. That was why he looked different.

"I know a few things." She responded stepping closer to the two von Trapps. Louisa was smiling broadly, Maria was pleased to note, grateful to finally be able to fully watch their interaction.

"I think he's a terrier mix, but father disagrees." Louisa clarified.

"Yes, I believe him to be a spaniel." The Captain offered, stroking the short-haired pup.

"I'm not sure," Maria considered the dog between them, "he looks more lab, given the short hair."

"Well, I'm certain he's a mix of some sort." The Captain said offering a sly grin to his daughter. She returned it happily. Maria felt as though they were playing a game, one that involved not explaining any of the rules to her. If that was the case, she would simply play along.

"Oh, most definitely, Captain." Maria nodded, "In fact, now that I think about it he may be more hound than anything. Look at the ears. He might even be part Austrian!"

The Captain chuckled at her joke, "The coloring is a little off for a black and tan pup. But it could be a part of the mix," He looked more carefully at the pup, "But you know Fraulein, you may be right."

She couldn't help the warm feeling that settled throughout her at the Captain's compliment, even if he was teasing her. Louisa laughed along with her father. Maria felt a slight blush come to inhabit her cheeks, and the realization of it only made it worse. She looked down at the dog and joined Louisa's laughter.

"You should head back inside, Louisa. Fraulein Maria is right, you could catch a chill out here." The Captain's voice was light and it forced Maria to look up. His eyes were soft as he held his daughter's and Maria held back the excessive grin forcing it's way towards her lips. Louisa nodded her consent. After an expansive yawn she stood up and gave the dog one last pat before leaving the gazebo, not bothering to wait for her governess. Maria rolled her eyes at the girl, Louisa seemed just as impatient as her! She turned back to see the Captain still sitting with the dog. She was unsure whether he had expected her to leave with his daughter.

It was then she saw how drooped his shoulders were, how rigid his posture was. As a Naval Captain, he could stand as straight as a board without the tension she often found while attempting a similar stance. Perhaps he was in some kind of pain; she became wretched at the thought.

"Is everything all right, Captain?" She asked.

He considered her question as he continued to pet the dog, rubbing it's belly. As soon as she had spoken she knew not to expect an answer, and was very surprised to see him thinking over-

"I will need to see you tomorrow, in my office." His ambiguous answer left her with sweaty palms and a rapid heartbeat. She was almost afraid of the answer to her next question.

"Did something happen?" She held her breath, waiting for his response.

"No," His quick intake of breath did not soothe her nerves, "not against us."

She swallowed quickly, rubbing her hands, nervous energy flowing through her, she briefly closed her eyes knowing she would not sleep tonight.

"Are you alright, Captain?" Such a direct question, she berated herself, was far too forward.

"I shall be fine, thank you, Fraulein." He pulled the dog into his lap and it settled it's head on his knee, one eye closing. She felt as though the wind had been blown from her when she realized that the dog was more comforting to him than she was! Although she could not think what else she might do to help ease his worries. She was going to be a nun, she was supposed to be able to offer comfort to people with mere words. She had always found gestures to work better, but, though she was exceptionally outspoken, she didn't dare cross any lines involving touch.

They sat in silence for several minutes. Maria worried briefly whether she should retire the gazebo. Yet, she knew she did not want to leave the Captain alone while he was in such an rueful state.

"As soon as we leave he's going to start barking again." She said.

"That's true." He was rubbing gentle circles on the dog's head.

"If you would like, I can stay with the dog for the night." She offered, hoping he would head back to the villa and get the sleep he obviously needed.

"No, no, thank you, I will stay out here." He gave her a vague smile. She pursed her lips, realizing this was what he needed, and giving it to him would be her way of offering relief.

"It's not a problem, Captain." She gave him a wistful smile, one he might remember from their argument by the lake.

"I'm sure that it is not, Fraulein, but I insist." He didn't smile this time, only sighed, he seemed to recognize she could be as equally as stubborn as he was.

"You have guests to entertain, Captain, I know you need your rest." She hoped her reason helped to veil her full concern. He half chortled at her suggestion.

"Your charges are far more active than mine, are they not?" She laughed slightly as she continued to chew on her lip, worried for him. Nodding to herself she decided that ultimately he needed his time alone. Perhaps tomorrow would yield better answers.

"Well, goodnight then, Captain." She smiled, and slowly left the gazebo, keeping her eyes on him as long as she could.

"Goodnight." His soft voice carried through the trees as she headed back towards the villa.

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	4. Fahren

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She had never seen so many maps in her life! There was large map of Austria, a smaller map of Salzburg and the surrounding area, a medium sized map of Vienna and Innsbruck. There was a map of Switzerland, and a map showing the mountain ranges, borderlines of Germany and Austria. There was a map of France and Italy, and even a very tiny map of New York City that appeared to be color coded. There were so many maps in the room Maria couldn't find a place to sit down, which she was being invited to do by the Captain, who seemed completely oblivious to the lack of seating he was offering her.

"I didn't know it was possible to own so many maps, Captain!" Maria huffed, tentatively moving what looked to be a map of Zug so she could sit down. Why anyone would name a place after a train was beyond her usual capable intelligence. Having moved the map off the chair she sat down, clasped her hands together and began following the Captain's movements, a habit that was developing rather quickly and eerily as she thought about it.

"A guarantee when one becomes a sea captain, Fraulein." The Captain remarked, his eyes quickly roving a different map in his hands, one with many oddly shaped circular lines drawn all over it. "Tell me, have you ever seen a map such as this?"

He showed her the map with the circles on it. She shook her head. Although she covered geography extensively she had never been particularly good at discerning the appropriate maps to use for the appropriate moments. She also felt very foolish talking about maps in general, a feeling that was only amplified as she was discussing maps with a Captain. He pulled the map away from her face rather rapidly and continued his pacing around the room. She would learn this pacing of his was always because of her, and not necessarily because of the subjects they discussed.

"Is all of this necessary, Captain?" She asked, waving her hand over the large amounts of paper floating around her.

"Oh yes, Fraulein." He didn't expand on his comment and she hummed in response. His mood had certainly changed since she had seen him in the gazebo. He seemed so determinedly active.

"What exactly for, Captain?" She knew what he wanted to talk about, but waiting for him to get to his points was far too trying for her patience.

"A potential escape." He replied, she nodded to him to show she already understood what he was planning and that she simply wanted him to get on with it. He stopped his pacing long enough to throw her a look of annoyance and then resumed to explain his master plan.

"The Anschluss is coming, there is no point in denying it. I have expressed my fears to you, my fears for my family. The only problem now is when, when will it happen? Tomorrow? Three months? A year?" He stopped walking, standing behind her so she could not see his face, but she could only imagine, hearing his voice riddled with anguish. "There is no telling what these people will do, Fraulein. We must prepare against the possibilities."

"I take it you wish the flee?" It struck her as odd that such a brave naval hero would want to turn his back on his country, were it not for the children she would have found it highly out of character with everything she had been told of him.

"I wish only for my children to live their lives in freedom. They can not do that if the Nazis are here." He seemed to sense her doubt and she felt badly for expressing it so freely. "But, we will only leave Austria if absolutely necessary. Unfortunately, that necessity might be more pressing than even I imagine. So, I shall leave nothing to chance. Do you drive, Fraulein?"

The question caught her by surprise, she turned quickly in her seat to look at him and nearly fell off. His face was so expressive, one glance at his visage and she felt she could read his mind. Righting herself, she shook her head while she answered.

"No, I'm afraid not." She couldn't imagine what situation he might be envisioning that she would need to drive, "Do you drive?"

"Of course!" He stood straighter along side his answer and his blue eyes pierced her with a reprimand.

"Then I'm afraid I don't understand." She clapped her hands together, tilting her head to meet his reprimand with her own look of indifference.

"We live on the boarder of Germany, a quick and easy escape might not be possible. We may have to drive, or walk to Switzerland." He was standing in front of her, ignoring her agape mouth.

"Walk to Switzerland! With seven children?!" She stood up at the thought, annoyed with his suggestion, and perturbed with his nonchalance at such an absurd idea. Her movement brought her face inches from his own.

"Yes. If necessary." He did not move from her, although they were so close. To fix the distance between them she began her own set of paces.

"How exactly do you plan on doing this!?" She couldn't help failing her arms and nearly hit him in the face with her incredulity.

"That is what we are here to discuss." He smiled lightly gesturing to the chair she had vacated. She resumed her seat. He rummaged under the maps, and, she noted, old newspapers, to find his usual desk chair. Before sitting he asked, "May I?"

It took a moment for her to realize he was asking permission to sit down. The moment was a rather awkward one as he was in a half-standing, half-sitting position, his eyes waiting for her response.

"Oh. Yes, of course." She spoke swiftly, nodding to emphasize her words. He sat.

"Now, I'm hopping that we might be able to convince a few people that we are all going to Italy to visit, no questions asked. That is the most favorable situation in my mind. It will also be good for you as it will not be necessary for you to accompany us to Italy." His hands took over his feet, drumming out his paces on his legs.

"Won't it?" She asked, leaning forward in her seat trying hard to comprehend his mind. It might be easy to read in his face but it was decidedly difficult to discern how complexly he could think.

"No. You are, after all, only a governess. It won't be necessary for you to join us on a family holiday." He smiled apologetically, as though it were offensive to call her a governess and keep her in such a class. "But that is the best case scenario. And I don't think we'll be so lucky. Let's focus on our other options. The ones that involve you most specifically."

She was nearly off her chair with anticipation. She could feel her dress slipping from the chair as she leaned even closer to the Captain, focusing on every word he spoke.

"We'll go to Switzerland, stay there until we can make appropriate arrangements and then leave for America. It is important for you to know I don't expect you to join us in America, that would be asking far too much of you. But I want you to know what I plan, just in case anything were to happen to me." He said the last sentence to his hands. She was grateful, she did not want to see his face. She did not want to see what he was thinking, what horrid fate he believed might befall him.

"There will be money already transferred to America. I will give you more details on that later, for now, only understand what I tell you. If I am not with you, go to New York City. I have friends there, friends who will help you should you need it. It shouldn't take longer than four months to prepare your departure from Europe, after four months go to New York, by whatever means available. If I am capable, I will join you there. That is what I want, that is what needs to happen. With any luck, I will be there myself, and you won't have to worry about it." He took a deep breath. He looked even more tired than he had in the gazebo. She almost wished she could bring the puppy back to the villa for him to hold, it had helped him so before. Unfortunately, the dog had been sent to live on a farm outside of Salzburg and she could only wish he felt her heart go out to him.

"I will do anything you ask, for the children. But, Captain, that does not solve how we are to get to Switzerland." She felt her voice crack with the whisper she hadn't meant to use. Her fingertips itched to touch his hands, in comfort.

"We'll have to stay away from major cities, drive along the more deserted paths, or walk the hills. I was hoping you might have a fair knowledge of the lesser known roads." It was his eyes that apologized this time, asking forgiveness for assuming her to be more wayward than she ever thought she let on. She was only ever offended by him for the sake of the children. And, luckily, that time had passed. Yet, she found it incredibly disorienting, the way he seemed to considered her beyond that of a governess but never a part of the aristocracy, as though she owned her own class, something that interfused all of it and none of it at the same time.

"I know some, but I don't know if I could get us so far west." She leaned back in her chair, not trusting herself to stay seated if she didn't.

"Then we'll have to review the maps as best we -" A knock interrupted his speech. He turned in his seat, as startled as she was to be reminded other people lived at the villa too. He stood to answer the door when Marta's voice echoed through.

"Father, when can we have Fraulein Maria back?" She asked, her voice muffled by the door.

The Captain opened the door to reveal the little girl plus her brothers and sisters all looking a different shade of guilty. Maria stood up as the Captain eyed each of his children unrelentingly. They each shot her a pleading look as she too stood in the doorway. She bit back a smile, knowing too well the Captain was teasing his children.

"We are discussing important business matters, Marta." He kept his face as rigid as possible, but only managed a few beats before breaking into a large smile, "But since all we've been talking about is you, I shall return her in a few minutes."

He bopped the little girl's nose with his finger and she responded with a giggle. He closed the door but not before sending each child their own personal Captain smile. Maria turned, but did not move to her chair.

"I suppose I've kept you too long. You will make sure they have indeed finished their studies for the day, before going out to, eh, play?" He sat at his desk, moving piles of newspapers out of his way.

"Of course, Captain." She paused a moment, not yet ready to join the children after such an arduous conversation. "The Germans have not come yet, Captain. Why not just leave now?"

It was a question she had been burning to ask since the moment he mentioned leaving. She originally thought it might be pride, but having now spoken with him she believed there was a more appropriate reason, one she felt might be important to know.

"The Anschluss has not occurred, you are quite right, but that does not mean the Germans are not here, Fraulein." His actions stilled as he found one of the newspapers, his face fell as he read the headlines, "You do know not to discuss any of what we've talked about with anyone else?"

"I thought as much, Captain." She wondered what the newspaper said that he would grow so lost reading it.

"Not even with Frau Schmidt, or Max or anyone else that lives in this house?" He continued, dropping the newspaper in the trash by his desk. He rubbed his temples with his long fingers.

"Yes, Captain. Not a word." She turned from him at his dismissive gesture and exited the room. She began to wonder if he thought there were spies, more specifically spies who were spying on him. She shook her head at herself, thinking his paranoia was catching. She rushed out the doors of the villa in search of the children. Thankfully, all thoughts of Switzerland, fleeing Austria, and spies immediately left her mind as soon as she was once again, rightfully, playing with the children in the garden.

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Please continue to review, if you have. And please review if you haven't already!


	5. Tragedies

Thank you all for your reviews! An fyi: I'm going out of town for the weekend so I won't be updating for a while. Happy Halloween to everyone!

also, I know I'm a yank, but since this is 1930s Austria soccer will be called football.

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The puppet show was going to arrive tomorrow. Maria felt her mind unhinge at the very thought. She knew absolutely nothing about puppets and the children seemed to expect her to be able to teach them enough to put on a show. She blamed their father for that, he loved providing them with excuses so that they could sing for everyone. Not that she really could blame him, she should be blaming herself for showing the Captain how marvelous the children could sound – at least when they weren't screaming across the grounds, as they were doing right now.

"Over here! Over here!" Friedrich yelled to Liesl as he ran up the field. They were playing on the same team in a rather rough game of football; Louisa was already sporting a nicely shaped bruise on her right knee and Kurt had more mud on his face than was usual for him. The children loved Maria for teaching them to sing and giving their father back to them, but they seemed exceptionally keen towards her when she agreed to play football with them – finally, they could play an evenly matched four versus four.

"No! Pass to the left, to the left! Brigitta's open!" Louisa had managed to steal the ball from Friedrich and was coming up quick to the goal. Poor Marta, didn't stand a chance against her much larger older sister. The little girl fell bottom down, not bothering to block the goal. But there were no tears from this little von Trapp. One of the first things Maria had learned working with the children was how tough they all wanted to be, none of them cried if they fell down, they got back up and went merrily on their way. It was something Maria had been extremely grateful for as the children, especially the little ones, had a knack for falling and scraping themselves up. A knack that almost rivaled her own.

"Fraulein Maria, look out!" She turned just in time to duck out of the way of the offending ball hurtling towards her face. It landed a few paces in front of her and she ran to keep it out of Liesl's reach. Looking up quickly she noted her options, relying on Kurt to stay open as she faked past Gretl and abruptly landed on her face.

She rolled over stunned by how fast everything had stopped. She was on her back facing a much too bright sun as the children's faces slowly floated into view.

"Is she alive?" Kurt asked worried.

"Of course she's alive, stupid." Louisa could be ever so polite when she wanted to.

"Should we call for father?" Brigitta, always the voice of reason.

"Fraulein Maria, are you alright?" Liesl's voice swam through her throbbing head. Maria pressed her hand to her temple trying to still the rotation of the world which had never before been so apparent.

"Yes, dear, I'm just fine." She added, a bit too late for a response, only managing to confirm the children's worst worries. She felt two strong hands on her back and she was forced into a seated position. The world seemed to move even faster and she closed her eyes hoping for some mild peace to come to her. It didn't.

"What did you fall on?" Friedrich asked, she couldn't see him, but she could easily imagine his face set in the same way his father's tended towards when he was looking for answers.

"There was a hole, somewhere." She was still clutching her head with her hand, "I'm not sure."

"I'm going to go and get father!" Gretl cried. The child's tears so evident in her voice; Maria was instantly on her feet.

"Oh, no, no, don't worry dear, I'm alright." The world had stopped spinning just as suddenly as it had started and Maria was foolishly thankful she didn't spin off with it's force. She walked up to the girl and knelt besides her.

"Don't cry, I'm fine. I get better very quickly, you know." She smiled for added effect and the girl returned it, her tears melting away. They hugged and Maria felt warmth return to her as quickly as the breath had been knocked from her.

"Perhaps it would be best for you to sit the rest of the game out?" Brigitta's voice came from behind and Maria turned to face her, still holding Gretl. She smiled understandingly: Brigitta, though she enjoyed various activities, was never truly happy unless she was buried in a book somewhere; which provided an excellent idea...

"I think you're right Brigitta. But then, someone else will have to sit out to make it an even match again." She played the girl's game, a smile passing between them.

"Oh, that's alright, I can watch from here." She moved further down the field, plopped down on the grass and fished out a book from her pocket. Maria laughed lightly at the girl's obsession and nodded to have the other children resume their game. They moved from her reluctantly, still slightly worried about her.

"I'm fine, really. Go." She shooed them back onto the field and waited. She waited until they were all focused on the game, exchanged a quick look with Liesl, and parted from the field.

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She had been through the main library of the house nearly every day she had been living there. Not because she was such an avid reader, but because the children demanded fresh stories for bedtime and Brigitta couldn't reach the uppermost shelves and the girl seemed to go through her books within hours. She knew that library better than she knew the one in Nonnberg. And from her vast knowledge of the stately library she knew there were no books there on puppeteering. But there was another library in the villa. One she had been dying to look through ever since she had learned of it's existence.

The Captain's extensive bookshelves which resided in his office were some of the most beautiful she had ever seen. If it was possible for bookshelves to be beautiful, anyway. There were also such a variety of books, that even though it seemed unlikely for the Captain to have anything there about puppets, it was certainly worth a look through.

She jogged through the halls of the villa slowing as she reached the Captain's office. The light was off and the door ajar. She paused briefly as part of her began to think this might not be a legal breach of the Captain's orders. But, she reasoned with herself, she had been invited into his office many times before, and this was, after all, for the children's sake. She pushed her doubts away and gently nudged the door fully open.

Sunlight streamed through the large oval windows, illuminating the lavish furniture. Maria walked in the room slowly, reverently almost, wanting to savor the feelings the room presented her. First, it smelled like warm honey and cabbage. A strange combination, normally, but not when she knew who spent nearly all his time reading and writing at the small space at his desk. She smiled warmly at the nonexistent Captain, sitting at his desk, pouring over documents she had only begun to realize the importance. His face would be set but soft, reading quickly, and comprehending not only the words, but the implications and deeper meanings. She giggled at herself as she allowed her imagination to roam freely.

Next, she felt the slight chill that slipped through the cracks of the windows. She had never noticed this before, the Captain was so intense he radiated enough heat for both of them. She felt the chill from the windows run down her spine at the thought and decided never to return to the room without a sweater of some kind. At least, not unless the Captain was also there.

She ran her fingers over the ornately carved desk, marveling at how neat the Captain was. She could never keep anything so orderly, it simply was not in her nature. The only thing on his desk was a pad to write on, a pen, and a lamp. She leaned over to study the decorations on the side of the desk and promptly knocked the pen to the floor. She huffed at herself, always moving too fast, and bent to pick up the pen.

It was the picture that caught her eye first, it was certainly the Captain, only he looked much younger. She could imagine he must have been her age at the time the picture was taken. He was smiling broadly, his arm around another young man who seemed just as pleased. She pulled the newspaper out of the trash and spread it out over the desk, unwrinkling the creases. It was then she noted the headline:

_TRAGIC FATE BEFALLS GERMAN HERO_

Her heart raced so fast it took a moment for her mind to catch up with it. The Captain, obviously, was Austrian, this headline did not refer to him. But it did refer to the man standing next to him in the photo. The paper told her his name was Richard Anselm. She read through the article and found her breath leave her. Richard Anselm was originally from Austria. He had worked with Captain von Trapp in the Navy, saving his life during a routine procedure that had gone horribly wrong. She was grateful the paper did not provide details, that was already enough to give her nightmares. This Richard Anselm left Austria after the navy was disbanded, moved to Germany and worked his way to Admiral! Tears stained the paper as she continued to read:

_Admiral Anselm, his wife, and two children were found dead outside their home in Bonn. There have been no reports yet detailing specifics, but we have been told that this was not politically motivated. Anselm had received many death threats throughout his life for his various successes. Others believe he and his family may have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Their children were ten and fifteen years old._

She allowed the paper to fall back into the trash, and then allowed herself to fall into the Captain's chair. She closed her eyes and prayed for the poor family, and for the Captain, who had clearly lost a very close friend. For the first time, prayer did not relieve her as well as it should; it was so unjust! She suddenly knew exactly what the Captain felt every time someone ignored how awful the Nazis were; she knew how fiercely it felt to absolutely detest the corruption of it all. There were no details, yet they knew it was not politically motivated. She couldn't even bring herself to laugh at the absurdity. And how could someone be in the wrong place, when they were just outside their home?! Her fists balled and she forced herself not to slam them against the desktop.

She released her hands, grief winning over anger. This was why the Captain was so sorrowful. He had lost someone so close, someone who had saved his life! Not simply had he lost them, but he lost them in a way he feared for his own family, for his own life. She finally opened her eyes as she looked around the room. This was his sanctuary, really, and it was now being used to formulate plans to save his life – his children. It was no wonder he was so cross all the time. A watery chuckle escaped her at how pathetic that sounded, even in her mind. The poor, dear Captain. He really did need to hear his children's voices, to hear them love him, and to love them back. It seemed the only medicine for his pain.

This brought her back to the reason she was in his office in the first place. She stood up from the chair, and wiped her eyes with the back of her hands. She would give the Captain the best performance the children could offer; it was the only thing she could think of to help ease his anguish. Now, to learn how to be a puppeteer meant finding the right book. If it existed. The task helped to soothe her own mind.

Moving further into the room she found herself staring at the colorful display the books were putting on. There were so many of them! And these shelves were higher still than the ones in the main library. The Captain had a ladder attached to them – even he could not reach the highest of the shelves. Maria's mind reeled as she realized she had no idea where to begin looking. Although, if she knew the Captain, and she felt she did, he would have a system in place. It was discerning the system that would be tricky, but she felt up to the challenge. It was certainly a better challenge than facing seven expectant children with nothing to teach them.

She walked to the ladder and pulled it around to the farthest left side. She climbed until she could read the first book on the topmost shelf. It read: Aeschylus' Agamemnon and Prometheus Bound. She moved to the book next to it. It read: Poetics, Politics and other Works by Aristotle. After checking the next three books she made her way back down the ladder and walked over to the opposite end. She knelt down to read the very last book. It read: Le Rêve by Émile Zola.

She smiled at having discovered the Captain's system, but it quickly faded as she recognized her lack of knowledge concerning puppeteering novelists. The books were ordered alphabetically, not by subject. A sigh escaped her as her hand rushed through her hair at the daunting task before her. She would have to search the entire stock of the Captain's private library. She only hoped the children could occupy themselves a little bit longer. She berated herself for not having thought of this sooner, she did not have the time to go through everything before the puppet show arrived!

Nevertheless, she moved back to the beginning of the bookcases and climbed the ladder once more. She was determined to go through every book on those shelves, even if she had to return in the middle of the night. She started with the A's, quickly learning that she would have to climb up and down the ladder several times before reaching the next letters.

She also learned that the Captain seemed to own every important book ever written. The subjects that he covered, if he read them all, and she was quite sure he had, were more extensive than she had ever imagined. He had books that covered the typical ancient philosophies, war tactics, history, and religion. Yet, he also had books on music composition, theatrical dialects, poetry, film, vaudeville, psychology, and, she nearly jumped with joy at the realization she was staring at a herd of books on puppeteering!

There were five different books total on the subject, and that was only of the books she had been through. She couldn't help but wonder if there were more in the books she had not yet reached. Her searches were brought to an abrupt halt when she heard a voice sound from behind her.

"There you are!" The Captain sounded rather relieved, "Well, we certainly didn't expect to find you in here!"

She stood from her kneeling position and promptly hit her head on one of the rungs of the ladder. Rubbing her head and turning red, she revolved to face him. His hands were on his hips, another newspaper clutched against his side. His face full of expectations.

"I'm sorry, sir, I must have lost track of the time." She could barely look him in the eyes and instead concentrated hard on how his nose, though seemingly quite straight, sometimes looked as though it might have been broken once before.

"Yes, I see that." He set the newspaper on his desk, "Looking for anything in particular?"

"As a matter of fact, yes, Captain." She gathered the five books she had found and made her way quickly through the mass of furniture to stand in front of the Captain and show him the books.

"Ah, I see you are preparing." He smiled. She was relieved, she thought perhaps she had crossed another line. Of course, there was always the possibility she had crossed a line and he was simply far too accustomed to it to mind.

"I hope I wasn't too long." She bit her lip, realizing she had no idea as to the time.

"Only long enough for the children to notice. They told me you hit your head earlier?" He looked pointedly at the top of her head, "I was worried you might have gone and done something rather rash. Head injures tend towards rashness, you know."

She pursed her lips at his teasing, and hummed a low note at his incredible ability to make her feel both childish and endeared at the same time.

"B flat?" He asked, his eyebrows piquing.

"D." She responded, "You're close."

"A third off, I wouldn't say that's close at all" They were close, that was certain. If the books were not in her hands she would have felt the magnetic draw his body had on her own. Close; he had been close to Admiral Anselm. The thought jumped to her mind and she looked away, hopping he missed the hurt in her eyes. He didn't, he never missed anything she wanted him to.

"Is anything the matter? You are alright after your fall?" He was leaning; over her books; she could smell the honey.

"Yes, I'm fine. I'm fine." She took a deep breath before meeting his eyes. Her voice broke as she spoke, "I'm sorry, Captain. I'm so sorry for your loss."

His eyes grew hollow with the thought and she was thankful for the books in her arms, the temptation to reach out to him was overwhelming.

"Thank you," was all he managed to say. He nodded a few times, offered a vague smile and sat at his desk.

"You should, ah..." He gestured towards the door, she took his meaning: he needed to be alone. She left the room to find the children, hoping they would make her feel better, take her mind off the dear Captain's ghostly blue eyes. Hoping, also, that with the books in her arms the children could make the Captain's life lighter again.

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	6. Song Writing Therapy

_The Captain was on his knees. A bell rang in the distance. It was far away, growing further with each stroke. Hands clasped in front of his chest, his usual grey suit soaking wet, the Captain's eyes focused solely on the large black molten eagle sitting on the table in front of him. It wore a tarnished gold crown. The room was blacker than the bird. __The only light in the room emanated from around the Captain._

_NUNC LENTO SONITU DICUNT, MORIERIS_

_The bird croaked, its breath infused with dust and bile._

_The Captain closed his eyes, another bell sounded. His lips whispered, "Liesl."_

_NUNC LENTO SONITU DICUNT, MORIERIS_

_The bird's voice creaked against the blackness of the room, feathers falling slowly into the darkness. The Captain looked to the bird again, holding his hands higher, pleading against the words of the bird._

"_Friedrich." He spoke, louder this time, but with a confidence shattered._

_NUNC LENTO SONITU DICUNT, MORIERIS_

_The crown fell from the bird, beyond the table, where only the sound of the bell strike was heard._

_The Captain spoke each of his children's names only to hear the bird's eerie reply,__ "__Nunc lento sonitu dicunt, morieris!" The bell tolled softer in the distance each time, a reply of a reply, foe or friend?_

_While the bird threatened the Captain, as it's replies shook his hands and changed his skin from white to pale green, a small silver chain began to wrap around the arm-like talons, binding the eagle, pulling it towards the edge._

_Gretl's name was spoken last, the reply instant and expected. Upon the final child named the bell played its last note and spoke no more._

_The Captain remained silent, watching the struggle of the bird, his hands still clasped in unspoken prayer. The eagle, near the edge, stared with its one eye, unblinkingly black. Finally, with a strength in his voice long forgotten by the bird, his arms spread apart in sacrifice, he spoke with a certainty once lost,_

"_Maria."_

The puppet show had arrived the day before, bringing with it excitement for the children, and a small headache for the adults. Even Maria had some difficulty hearing over and over and over how wonderful it was to finally have the show, and their constant wondering what they going to do with it now it was there. They wondered at breakfast, they wondered at lunch, they wondered on bicycle trips, dinner time, bed time, any time they were awake they asked about the puppet show. Clearly Maria knew exactly what they were going to do with it, didn't she? Oh, how she wished she did.

She had read, very carefully, through each of the books she had borrowed from the Captain's library. Each book explained very clearly the proper technique for handling puppets, the easiest ways to pack them, paint them, fix them. What every book lacked was instructions on putting together a show, a story. She prayed to God for inspiration, for a muse to whisper in her ear the perfect story to go along with the strange assortment of puppets.

Each hour the muse ignored her was another hour she had to endure the children's repetitious questions. The most important one being, were they going to sing? That question had thankfully been answered by the Baroness.

"I simply adore your children's voices, they really are quite talented, Georg." She had said that morning.

To which the Captain perplexedly replied, "Well, you know where they get it from, darling."

She laughed his comment away, as was her custom when she didn't know if the Captain was being serious or teasing. Maria, however, had known instantly: the Captain looked to her and then the puppet show sitting in the foyer. Eyebrows raised and slightly crooked meant he was being serious; which only served to send her mind into overdrive.

Can the Captain sing as well? Was he interested in participating, or helping with the production of the show? Was it imperative that she begin work on the show immediately for the sake of the Baroness? Or was he simply in need of a distraction from his other worries? Maria felt rather strongly that this last one was far from the truth. The Baroness seemed to keep him distracted enough for most of the days.

Yet, with that one look, Maria could not help but feel compelled to work on the show that very day. Yes, this feverish desire had everything to do with the Captain and nothing to do with the disturbing dream she'd had that night. The dream she was trying desperately not to think about.

The children were in their various rooms working on their various projects for school. She stayed far from the children whenever they were studying – they found her to be an excellent distraction. So she stayed away as long as they didn't need help with anything; and they were all so smart it was rare for them to need her help. Plus, often the younger ones received advice from the older ones. So, she spent the two hours working on other things.

The puppet show had been moved into the ballroom. It sat at odds against the dusty pictures, and fractured mirrors; it was highly polished, very sturdy, and very large. Maria eyed the boxes containing the puppets warily. There had to be some system to the whole thing, maybe characters she could flesh out if she gave them some order. Deciding this was the best place to start, Maria began removing the puppets from their boxes.

At first it seemed foolish to think there was any order involved with the puppets. There was something that looked like a knight, several fat men with large cups, forks and knives, a few different colored goats, and a woman with a weird blue hat on her head. That was only the first box. Maria stared at the puppets, all lying on the ballroom floor looking back at her. Perhaps a story could form around the knight and the lady, a damsel in distress story where he helps to save her goats from the evil drinking men. A nice love story. No, not really, she shook her head, hoping there would be some better puppets to spark her storytelling.

The second box yielded better additions. Three couples dancing, they were glued together. There were more goats, and she found it interesting that one of the goats wore a green hat, another wore a pink ribbon, and another the exact same odd blue hat as the lady. Perhaps a spell was placed and the knight had to change the goat back into a lady! That sounded fun, very greek she felt. Ah, but then there was also a young girl in a pink dress. She seemed more of the knight's type anyway. Or perhaps he could be a prince. A love triangle! The evil prince wishes to marry the beautiful princess, who is in love with the common farm boy from box number three. He could be a goatherd, given the amount of goat puppets there were. She placed the prince, girl, and boy in a separate pile to remind herself of their story and then continued through box number three.

Box number three made things slightly more complicated with the discovery of a very tiny baby goat, several musicians, and two men who might have been hikers, twin hikers as they were identical in every aspect. The sheer number of puppets was overwhelming, and the task to make all of them apart of one story seemed impossible. She felt she was looking at a town of people, there were so many, and all so different. Deciding to leave the puppets for a moment she moved back to the main stage and began looking through the backgrounds she had to work with.

Thankfully, there were nowhere near as many backgrounds as puppets. In fact, there were only two scenes, but both looked rather similar. The one with the castle could have easily connected to the open valley and hills of the other one. There were curtains that could be used as background as well, she reasoned, depending on what the story was. The story, it always came back to the story.

How to tell a story, she wondered. She made stories up for the children often enough that it shouldn't be difficult. Yet, working with your own characters and plots was one thing, using the gifts of someone else was very different.

"Fraulein Maria?" Friedrich's clipped tones shocked her from her worries. She turned to find him standing in the doorway, much like his father had when she had first entered the von Trapp home.

"Yes, Friedrich?" She stepped forward nearly tripping on the baby goat.

"I'm afraid I still don't understand why Frankenstein is also called The Modern Prometheus." He blurted out, he was holding the book in his hand and his face turned red when she smiled.

"Do you know the Greek myths?" She asked, she tried to encourage the children to ask her questions when they didn't understand something of their studies. She had, afterall, attended school far beyond anything they had.

"I know some." He shifted his weight, a nervous habit only shown when the Captain wasn't around.

"You know of Prometheus, yes?" She cocked her head to the side trying to gauge his full knowledge of the subject.

"He gave fire to humanity and was punished, his liver eaten by an eagle everyday." The boy pulled a face at the gruesome image.

"Do you know what the fire represents?" How fascinating to discuss ancient Greek myths with an ancient Greek method. She waited while he remembered.

"Human progress, advancement..." He looked to the ceiling for help, moments passed, then finally, "technology."

"Have you finished reading Frankenstein?" She walked over, seeing his thumb holding his place in the book. There was very little left to read.

"Not entirely," was the sheepish reply.

"Finish it and think on Prometheus, see if you can connect the two in some way. If you want to discuss it again afterwards, just let me know." She smiled as he nodded his excitement. He turned to leave then paused turning back to face her, his eyes beaming

"Did you know Shelly wrote Frankenstein from a dream she had?" The children often did this to her, they had to show they knew something about their school topics, especially if it was something she didn't.

"No, I never heard that." She swallowed, she did not wish to think about dreams.

"Well, it's true. We'll be down in an hour." He added as he marched away, back to his room. Her eyes followed him up the stairs but she did not really see him.

Create a story based on a dream, a unique concept she would never have guessed for Frankenstein. Thankfully, none of the puppets would fit the dream she was ignoring; there wasn't an eagle, or a man who could pass as the Captain.

"Now, this bell tolling softly for another, says to me: Thou must die." She spoke the translation without breath, quietly to herself, closing her eyes; she could hear the morose eagle speak with her. She listened, waiting silently. Sighing, she praised the stillness of the villa – there was no bell to follow, it had only been a dream. She forced it to the back of her mind.

Opening her eyes she turned back to the puppets, an idea suddenly bubbling in her brain. She would praise Austria, the puppets were that of a town, they wore traditional Austrian garb, and it would be _his_ children singing. The Captain would love it. Even singing in an Austrian way – she had recently taught the children how to yodel. She smiled to herself and moved purposefully to the puppets. She began arranging them into groups, moving swiftly around the ballroom, her dress spinning about her almost as though she were dancing.

Her idea morphed as the children joined her in the ballroom. Throughout the entire day they all worked together trying to piece together the little town. The story was a love story, voted on by all the girls and neither of the boys. It also showed that love throughout an entire little village. A young goatherd yodeling, very Austrian, Maria believed; and he was yodeling to his true love, how perfect for the Captain and the Baroness to see.

She had already come up with several lines for the song and had moved on to teach the children how to use the puppets. The children could already sing, so Maria was more focused on teaching them the proper techniques she had learned from the books then on teaching them the small parts of the song she had decided upon. Unfortunately, Marta and Gretl were both too small to handle the puppets properly – their little arms made it difficult for the puppets to reach the floor. Maria managed to console them by charging them with scene changes and character placement.

The Captain entered two hours after lunch had passed, windswept and smiling. The children all stopped their puppet lessons and ran to greet him.

"Did you go out ridding, father?" Marta asked, eagerly jumping in his arms. He knelt down to hug her.

"We did. It was the perfect day for it." He moved to Gretl, picking her up in his arms and walking over to see what they had been doing. "Don't tell me you've spent the entire day inside."

He scanned the abandoned puppets on the stage and the strange order they appeared in on the floor. There was a small notebook sitting near the goatherd with a few lines scribbled. His smile never disappeared as he took it all in.

"We're learning to use the puppets!" Kurt nearly yelled. Maria quieted him with a quick 'shh', patting his head to calm him. The Captain smiled at her, clearly entertained by the boy's energy. He looked around at all his children, something mischievous glinting in his eyes.

"Frau Schmidt just made her famous linzertorte, it's waiting for you in the kitchen," His face went rigid, cautioning his children, "that is, only if you want to have some."

He laughed.

"Oh! Can we, father? Please?" Kurt nearly jumped over Marta with his enthusiasm.

"Now, you don't want to spoil your dinner, do you?" Maria reminded, again pressing her hand to Kurt to still his wild excitement.

"Dinner, I'm afraid, is being pushed back an hour." The Captain explained, "Max and Elsa are out on business and won't be back for some time."

"So, we can have the linzertorte?" Liesl asked slowly, her eyebrows raised in concern, testing her father.

"Well," he paused dramatically, Maria wondered how he had managed to keep his playfulness hidden all those years, "yes, of course."

The children cheered and started running towards the kitchen, the Captain cleared his throat loudly and they all slowed to a type of walking march. He watched his children leave, once they were out of earshot he turned back to Maria.

"You may have some too, if you wish." He offered, a bit late, she thought.

"Thank you, Captain. But I have quite a bit of work to do." She gestured to the puppets on the floor.

"Ah yes, the famous puppet show." He bit back a smile, "Max is almost as excited about it as the children are."

She chuckled at the information and moved back to the goatherd puppet. Sitting on the stage she picked up the notebook and reread what she had written.

"It's a pity there are so few words that rhyme with mote." She spoke mostly to herself, but secretly hoped the Captain might have some ideas that might help.

"I beg your pardon?" He spoke quickly, as people do when they say 'I beg your pardon.'

"We've been working on a song to go with the show and I'm afraid I'm rather stuck." She smiled quietly, knowing he wanted to help but didn't know how to ask.

"What do you have so far? If I might hear it?" He stood in front of her at his full height, arms clasped behind his back, strong brow furrowed in interest. He really did not look like a sea Captain. If she had wanted to recreate her dream, the prince puppet would have been an excellent representative for the Captain.

"A prince on the bridge of a castle mote. Men on a road with a load to tote. Men in the midst of a table d'hote." She spoke carefully so he could memorize as she said the words. He repeated the words back to himself and his nose crinkled slightly in thought. He definitely broke it sometime before, it became more obvious when he moved it.

"It might help if I knew what the song was about." He smiled and the lines on his face spread out, making him look like he had in the picture she saw from the newspaper; so youthful and bright.

"At this part, I'm describing the people in a village who hear a goatherd's yodel." She stood from the stage and walked over to the ordered puppets on the floor. "This is the prince, the hikers, and the men."

He looked over the group, then moved to see how the others were ordered.

"What are you doing with the dancers?" He pointed to the three couples attached together.

"I don't know yet. That's the uncertain pile." She added.

"Uncertain pile?" He smirked.

"Yes. I have plans for these," she pointed to group to the left of the uncertain pile and then to the group on the right, "and I have plans for these. But not for these, hence uncertain."

"I see." He looked over all the puppets, nose crinkling again as he saw the goats with the similar hats as the people, "Well, I shall have to think about it."

He excused himself after Franz arrived with a telephone call. Maria returned to her lyrics wondering if it was too corny to make a pun using herd and heard. Deciding it fit the music best she began writing the first verse. The children arrived not long after and she abandoned the song momentarily to continue their lessons on puppeteering.

Herr Detweiler and the Baroness were earlier than expected, bringing with them a large wooden box which Maria learned contained an assortment of Austrian beers. The Captain, it appeared, was somewhat of a beer connoisseur: sometimes writing reviews and critiques of his favorite breweries. The Baroness was good friends with one of the brewer's wives and had accompanied Herr Detweiler in the acquisition of the latest beer. Maria assumed the reason the Captain did not obtain the beer himself was so he could spend some time with his children. After their late dinner, she worked with the children and the puppets until nearly bedtime.

To settle the children before bed, Maria insisted they relax in the lounge and spend some time with the Baroness. She did not offer her reason, if the Baroness was to become the children's new mother they should get to know her. They all sat around in various arm chairs, the younger ones on the floor, and listened to the conversation. Maria held Gretl in her lap and was trying, hopelessly, to focus on the little girl's reading rather than on the Captain's melodious voice.

"We may thank the English, Max, for their discovery of the porter." The Captain was pouring a thick dark liquid into two glasses, he poured no more than half a cup in each. "And we may thank Herr Sigl for adding vanilla to ours."

Before taking a sip he smelled the beer, closing his eyes at the aroma, cocking his head to judge, he drank half of his glass and then a smaller taste immediately after. He held the glass to the light, squinted as though trying to look through, and finished the beer in one last swallow. Herr Detweiler was much slower, taking small sips, trying to hide his distaste for the beer.

"But what of wine, Georg? Please tell me you know something of wine." The Baroness cooed, sitting on the settee, observing the two men.

"Indeed I do, darling, I make it my business to know something about everything," He smiled at her. How true, Maria thought. She wondered if the Baroness was aware of the Captain's extensive collection of books.

Herr Detweiler finished his drink and watched in mock horror as the Captain poured another beer into his glass. The Captain went through the same steps, smelling, drinking, looking, drinking; and watched wily as Herr Detweiler attempted to hide a shudder as he slowly imbibed the amber liquid.

"Fraulein Maria, are you listening?" It never ceased to amaze Maria how observant a five year old could be.

"Yes dear, sound it out." The girl was stuck on the word _hochzeit _and had realized Maria's attention was not solely on her.

"Ho..." Gretl soon found her rhythm again and continued her reading out loud. Maria pulled the girl closer to give her more confidence. Her attention back on Gretl it took a moment before she realized the Captain was speaking to her.

"Fraulein?"

But he wasn't looking at her. He was staring at the glass in his hand, it looked as though he had just poured another round.

"Yes, Captain?" Maria sat up, trying to catch his blue eyes. Gretl paused in her reading to look up at her father curiously. The other children stopped in their activities to watch the exchange.

"A prince on a bridge..." His words were hushed and if she hadn't said the very same words to him not hours before, she would not have understood his whispers. He was staring very intently at the beer and she wondered if perhaps he was drunk.

"Could you repeat the lines again?" He asked, finally turning his eyes to her; his finger resting on his cheek in inquiry.

"A prince on the bridge of a castle mote. Men on a road with a load to tote. Men in the midst of a table d'hote." She recited, having promised herself she wouldn't share the melody until she had all the words.

His head bobbed along with the rhythm of her words and his eyes fell half-closed. She watched as his nose performed his thoughts, crinkling as he mouthed her words once more. Then after a few beats of anticipation, he smiled; his eyes twinkled and his youthful spark betrayed his years.

"Could you use: Men drinking beer with the foam afloat?" Their eyes locked and her brain stalled before it could process what he had said. She had to look away, finding it difficult to answer. She went through the passage adding his line, bobbing her head as he had done. She smiled when she realized how perfectly it fit; and she could finally use the puppet with the beer pints.

"Yes, I think that would work very nicely." She returned his buoyant smile.

The Captain, pleased with his work, returned to his beer, not bothering to offer an explanation to the rest of the group. The children looked between their father and their governess, uncertainly. Maria found this odd as they also seemed happy that their father was involved with their activities.

"What is this?" The Baroness chimed in, her voice lilting in curiosity. Herr Detweiler seemed grateful for the distraction. The Captain was about to pour him another glass but the Baroness' question had suspended his motion.

"A song," he looked around at his children, meeting each pair of eyes, "for the children to sing during the puppet show."

"Oh, how delightful. I look forward to it." She laughed gently, taking a sip from her wine as she offered the Captain an idle smile. He chuckled at her about to finish pouring for Herr Detweiler.

"Oh dear, would you look at the time. I should be headed to bed." Herr Detweiler spoke, his hand stilling the Captain's pour.

"So early, Max?" It was almost comical how his face fell at the prospect of enjoying his beer alone.

"Well, I have a meeting in the morning that I most certainly cannot sleep through." Herr Detweiler seemed to be pleading for the Captain's dismissal. He must not like beer at all, Maria thought.

"Very well. Goodnight, Max." The Captain corked the bottle, apparently he did not drink alone. Maria felt this to be very wise.

"It is getting rather late, we should say goodnight as well." She stood up with Gretl leaning against her legs, stifling a yawn.

The children took their turns saying goodnight to the Baroness and their father and followed her up to their bedrooms. She tucked in Gretl and Marta, singing her favorite lullabies and then popped her head in each of the older children's rooms to say her goodnights.

Once she was settled in her own bed she prayed that with her idea to give the Captain a look at how the feelings of Austria had not yet been lost, through the puppet show, and to have him now be apart of their work, he would be more at peace. At the very least, that his children's voices and enthusiasm might bring him away from thoughts of the Anschluss. She also hoped that by doing this her dreams would be peaceful as well.

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Please review!!!


	7. Unchained Melody

Hope you all enjoy!!!

Some of the dialogue and things in italics are not mine.

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"They're your children, Captain."

He had chuckled deeply at this response. Looking back on it her mind swam, thinking through the many possible meanings held in that one phrase. She had meant that he should know how wonderful his children were; he had heard them practicing nearly every night. And yet, she knew she had also meant that she was equally impressed with him. A rather startling thought that had simply rushed from her mouth, as her thoughts normally did, without a second glance at what she was actually saying. She knew the Captain was all too aware of both meanings. He always seemed to be so aware of...everything.

That awareness must have been what sparked his momentary embarrassment. Making the Captain embarrassed only served to bring a redness to her checks as she had nervously swung her hands back and forth. What had she been thinking?

She hadn't, that had been clear enough. Even the Baroness picked up on it; which was the only way to explain her enigmatic response, _well, if you have any problems I'd be happy to help you._ A response that should not have even been made in the first place:

Who was she, Maria, to share such a personal detail with, not only her employer, but his potential fiancée? A detail she hadn't figured out herself even. Although she could easily list the reasons; reasons she didn't think she'd make a very good nun. There were plenty of them: discipline (which she was sure the Captain would find very humorous), her lazy focus, her love of the outdoors, being so outspoken, and she could name twenty more if given the chance. Yet, it didn't excuse the blatant way in which is was spoken. Oh, the Captain had reacted as though it were an everyday event; her blunt honesty, even about herself. The Baroness, she may have been thrown by it. Yes, that must have been it. That would also explain her odd offer.

Maria shook her head, closing her eyes in her retrograde embarrassment. She was standing in her room, half undressed, getting ready for bed. She glanced at the clock, surprised it was nearly midnight.

It had taken the children longer than usual to prepare for their own beds. The thought of the party was too much for them. Brigitta had explained they hadn't had a party in four years. Gretl wouldn't have remembered any of it. Though Marta claimed she remembered the lovely blue dress her mother had worn. Louisa countered that it had been a green dress, and that Marta was only remembering the pictures. That sparked a debated that lasted a good ten minutes, and it wasn't until the pictures had been brought out that Marta had been proven right and everyone could finally go to sleep.

It wasn't the thought of the potential party that had kept Maria awake, staring out her window. It was her embarrassment, and the shock that still resided from finding out the Captain could sing; sing and play the guitar! She knew the children so well and knew not to expect pranks from them any more. Yet at the moment Liesl whispered in her ear:

_Give father the guitar._

No, that simply couldn't be right.

So Liesl had checked with her siblings and they had all agreed.

_He used to play wonderfully._

No, that certainly could not be right.

She had given in and offered the guitar to the Captain. It was too good an opportunity to miss and she could easily be as stubborn as he was, prompting him to do something he didn't want to do. Their pleading gave way and he took the instrument from her hands, smiling as though he had always known this time would come. He had strummed a few chords, and she motioned the children to sit and watch. Feeling it best to be out of the way she had moved to stand in a nearby corner, not wanting to ruin the moment for anyone.

And then he began to sing.

Maria sighed deeply as she gently sat on the edge of her bed, eyes still closed, hearing the soft melody of his voice.

She had once heard, as a little girl, that the eyes were the window to the soul. Up until that moment the Captain began his song, she had believed it. Not to say his eyes weren't, at the very least, a window to his emotions. His eyes were expressive, no doubting that. And she could read his emotions through them with an ease even she could not explain. Yet, now she could see it was truly his voice that gave him away, every time. It could bite, it had an edge, it could be so melodic, so playful.

When he drilled her the first time they met, _you will kindly remember that there are some rooms in this house which are not to be disturbed._ Even if he was angry at the time, the way his voice moved, so fluid, such beautiful inflections; and part of why she didn't think him to look at all like a sea captain. When he had said goodnight to her, that first night during the thunderstorm. His voice nearly sang the word, half in jest, half in song; knowing he had won the battle. How angry it had made her at the time. Even when he had fired her, his voice moved along as though it were a modern composition, filled with percussion and brass. And then, when he'd called her Captain...

_You look happy to meet me._

He had sung the words to her. Yes, she was happy. She was happy then, she was happy now. This was happiness. She had truly begun to know happiness during her schooling, and it had only grown when she had entered the abbey. But then, as his voice washed over her, if there was any further someone could go in being happy she felt they might explode. This was happiness, his voice, in song, harmonizing beautifully with his daughter's. This was what life was meant to be.

It had seemed as though she was meeting him, almost for the first time. Everything she had ever wanted to know about the Captain she learned from that song. His longing for his country, his love for his children, his playful ways, his love of beauty... the very depth of his soul. For that was what she felt. She felt he was allowing her, all of them, to feel a part of his soul; to touch a part of his very essence. She felt connected to him in a way she had never thought was possible.

He had finished his song, and yet the connection did not disappear, not even now, hours after the song had finished. She could feel him as though he were standing right next to her. He had shown her his being, his nature. He could not remove such a gift. It was perfect.

She stood up from the bed, pulling the rest of her dress from her hastily. She nearly threw the doors of the armoire open looking for her nightgown. Was it appropriate to think that moment had been perfect? Perfect was not a word to be used lightly. The implication of perfect had been discussed fervently during her time at Nonnberg. Perfect was the Lord, Christ, God. Nothing else could honestly hold such a title and any perfection that might exist amongst man was in the unity between man and divinity.

Could a moment, a mere moment, exist then as perfection?

Where is the fault? Sister Berthe always asked.

She thought about it, staring out the window again, hoping for some minor hint. Where was the fault? His voice was on pitch. He hadn't missed a single note on the guitar. Liesl's voice blended with his easily. The children had all remained in silent awe. The Baroness had spoken, but that was before the Captain had started singing. He had laughed during his performance, twice in fact; but that only added to it.

Where is the fault? Maria wondered again. It was highly possible this was beyond her realm of experience; and the answers she sought weren't hers to discover yet. The next time she returned to the abbey she would ask the Reverend Mother. Having made her decision she climbed into her bed fully prepared to fall asleep.

"Fraulein Maria?"

Maria's eyes snapped open as Liesl's voice called to her through the door. She climbed back out of bed and headed for the door. She was rather surprised when she opened it.

Liesl was still in her clothes, her hair hanging messily over her shoulders, and she was staring silently at her feet.

"Come in, dear. What's wrong?" Maria took the girl's arm and guided her into the room, closing the door behind them.

Liesl stood in the middle of the room looking around at the unmade bed and the books lying about. Maria began to worry.

"What is -"

"I hadn't realized, I didn't know...it only just struck me how...," Liesl interrupted, rambling her uncertainty, not quite sure what to say or how to say it, "May I ask you something?"

"Of course." Maria continued to stand as Liesl sat on the bed, fidgeting with the sheets.

"I...I'm certain this party is important. But I, I don't," she sighed, slightly frustrated, "what do you do when you think you know something, but are not entirely sure about it?"

Ah, this could only be about one thing. Maria had spent enough time with the von Trapps to learn a thing or two about the aristocracy. She was well aware this would be no ordinary party, but she was only as certain about the implications involved as Liesl was. A proposal was coming soon, sooner than she had expected, that much was apparent.

"Then I would suggest you go to the source." Maria smiled at the unbelieving expression plastered on the young woman's face.

"Oh, I could never ask father such a thing."

"Well, there's a first time for everything. Try it, you may be surprised." She joined Liesl on the edge of the bed.

"But he's so..." Her eyes moved towards the ceiling as she sighed.

"Difficult?" Maria offered. The two young women laughed.

"I can't even imagine what he would say."

"That's all the more reason to ask." Maria's quick reply brought another giggle from Liesl.

The Captain had opened up to his children, not through words, but through actions. Now Liesl needed words, confirmation, and Maria felt certain the Captain would live up to his new found duties.

"I have to meet with him tomorrow afternoon. Perhaps, when I'm done, you could catch him in his office and use that as an opportunity to ask?" Sometimes a good plan was all that was needed to settle the nerves.

Liesl didn't seem to fond of it though, looking away from her governess, processing the idea.

"Sleep on it tonight, you may feel better about it come tomorrow." Maria said.

"I suppose I should be getting to bed. Thank you, Fraulein Maria. Goodnight." Liesl stood and they hugged before she left for her own room.

If Liesl spoke to her father tomorrow, their relationship would grow beyond what Maria was sure either of them had ever imagined. Although she could not help being curious about what the Captain would say. Oh, she was certain he would provide an answer, and probably be very pleased that Liesl was so willing to be apart of his life. No, it was the actual answer Maria was interested in. How soon would the Captain propose? How soon would it be until she was no longer needed there, and the children had a mother?

The thought made her freeze. She would have to leave the von Trapps. Having been so concerned about the difficulty of governing seven children, the large change from abbey life to private aristocratic life, she had never considered the fact that she would one day have to leave. Not only if the Captain did marry, but she was only to stay until September. That had seemed like such a long time when the Reverend Mother had told her. Now it felt like a few hours, days at the most.

She wondered what the Captain would say if he knew how attached she had grown to his home, his family. Even with everything they had been through, they were still such a perfect loving family.

Perfect!

The word seemed to be following her tonight, plaguing her. She could not wait to see the Reverend Mother. What had she told Liesl? Go to the source. She got out of bed for the second time that night and walked over to the pile of books leaning against the cabinet.

Her Bible was extremely old, having been passed down from mother to daughter for a longer time than even Maria was aware. Potentially even an original _versio vulgata. _Many of the pages she'd had to glue back in, and some of the words she even had to rewrite, having been smudged away by fond readings. She opened it carefully, happy no other pages fell out as they usually did.

Psalm 19, one of her favorites, and one of her reasons why she felt she _would_ make a good nun. She skimmed through knowing which passage she sought.

_The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple._

She read through the passage once more, and then the entire psalm a few times. This was not quite what she was looking for; she drummed her hands against the pages thinking through other possible verses. Deciding to start with another of her favorites she turned to 1 Corinthians 13.

..._Love suffers long and is kind...bears all things, believes all things...endures all things. Love never fails...But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away...And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love._

The love of God, and for God; a simple moment could not be perfect. Then she did not know what perfection was. She closed her Bible and stared at the cover. That's what the passage read, true knowledge would come in the Kingdom of Heaven. True love would reside their as well. Perfection lived just beyond the view of man. They were meant to strive for it, only to reach it upon the last day. The moment with the Captain was not perfect. It was not love, or charity as her other Bible read.

She sat, her legs under her fluffy covers, completely lost. Her mind creating half-formed questions, unable to answer any of them. She could not know perfection: the mirror was too dim. But did that also mean she could not feel it? There was no name, or worldly definition she could provide for that moment while he sang. Thus, it felt like the pinnacle of what a person could feel. It was not simply her own feelings, but the Captain's as well. He had shown her his deepest emotions, his strongest worries, and happiest of feelings. And he was still there, his feelings lingering over her as she thought, as she had talked to Liesl, gotten ready for bed.

She rolled over, shutting her eyes tightly, willing herself to fall asleep. Realizing her mind simply did not have an off button, she prayed. She prayed her questions to God, relieving herself of her worries. Every question she could think to ask, she prayed. Finally, after a quiet 'Amen', she drifted off to sleep. Moving between dreams and reality her mind spoke, one last time, a phrase she would not remember when she woke the next morning, _Yes Captain, I'm always happy to meet you. _

_

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_Okay, those Bible quotes are not from any versio vulgata. They are from the New King James version, which is the only Bible I own...

also, since I am in no way any sort of catholic scholar, please feel free to correct any part of this that makes no sense as far as Christian views go.

as always, feedback, reviews, etc. is always appreciated. Just press that little button down there!


	8. Jealous

This is specifically short....hope you enjoy!

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She knew, far too well, what was going on with Georg. This time she could not blame it on seduction. No, the little Fraulein was far too inexperienced to know what she was doing. It was especially this innocence that seemed to draw Georg to her. An innocence Elsa could never regain. It seemed almost unfair that she could not blame this unfortunate little problem on the Fraulein, because then...well, there were certainly two parties involved here and if she couldn't find fault with one (however much she wanted to) then it had to lie on the shoulders of the other.

Yet, Elsa was not angry with Georg. She knew him, men, well enough to know how these things played out. If Georg could, she believed the phrase was: get it out of his system. Then, then he could move on with the two of them. After all, it was only right for a Baron to marry a Baroness; not some simpleton Fraulein-postulant hybrid.

She did not fear that he would ever take whatever this situation was quite _that_ far. He was not in love with the girl. As far as Elsa could understand, he was simply in lust with her. Yes. That was all.

Elsa's musings paused as she stood looking over the railing. The hallway was deserted for the most part only filled with the rushing of the odd maid every now and again. It was deserted, but that did not mean there wasn't any sound. In fact, one might say the hallway was completely full for the amount of sound, noise really, that encompassed everything. She could hear their voices quite clearly and was again astounded that Georg could honestly put up with such a person.

"If you will, Captain, only for a moment, hear me out." She practically pleaded with him.

"Fraulein, I have given you more than enough -"

"You don't understand!"

How dare such an insubordinate little girl interrupt such an important man!

"Oh I understand quite well. And the answer is still no."

It was that little laugh as he said 'quite' that Elsa felt the first stirrings of jealousy. He wasn't simply putting up with the girl (allowing her to speak in a manor that, well, simply did not befit anyone) he was _amused_ by it. If the Fraulein had been of a higher class, better educated in the ways of the world, and of men, Elsa would almost, almost, say that he was flirting with her.

"But how can you just brush aside, after everything else -"

"I am not brushing aside anything. I have put very careful thought into this, and the answer will be, will always be no!"

Oh, now he was angry. Elsa smiled to herself, half wishing she could see the two, half knowing if she did her jealousy would increase ten-fold. She had seen them fighting before:

They always stood close. Too close.

They never looked at anything but the other. Completely oblivious.

And their gazes were so intense...

Elsa shivered, wishing, no, praying that someday he would look at her like that. Georg always treated her like the perfect lady, the perfect Baroness. He never stepped beyond his bounds, unless he had a few too many glasses of champagne, and then he always apologized the next morning. He never allowed her to see that side of him, the dark lustful side she knew resided somewhere deep within that broken heart. She only saw the sharp, witty, cynical side. Not that he hadn't shown any interest in her, he most certainly had. But it had never been anything like the looks, the need, he showed the governess.

And Fraulein Maria couldn't be any less aware of it.

Elsa moved from the railing, the two people of her thoughts making themselves apparent as they entered the hallway, Georg in the lead.

"I don't understand why they can't sing -"

"I don't expect you to understand, Fraulein."

"Then explain it to me."

Her little fists were balled and Georg stopped walking to turn and face her. Before he had any chance to do so, however, he noticed his daughter, Liesl, standing on the stairs leading from the door.

"Hello, Father." Liesl bowed her head slightly as she addressed her parent.

"Hello, Liesl." His voice was lighter as he spoke to his child, even though he had said it like a question.

"I was wondering if I could speak with you." Liesl asked, her hands clamped nervously together behind her back.

Georg smiled brightly at his eldest daughter and held out his hand to her. His back to the governess he could not see her nodding Liesl onward, her hands motioning forward.

"Of course you can," he squeezed her hand, "about what?"

The girl fidgeted for a moment, glancing behind her father at the governess.

"Ah. Come with me." Georg had looked behind him, assuming Liesl didn't wanted to speak in front of the postulant. He took his daughter out of the hallway leaving the Fraulein alone. She watched the two of them disappear towards his office. The little governess stalled for only a moment before then running up the stairs (two at a time, if only Georg was truly aware!), most likely to find the other children.

Elsa sighed. She would find a way to stop this nonsense. Perhaps she should speak to Max about it. She dismissed the idea as soon as it came to her. Max was just as aware of the problem as she was and he had never come to her about it, looking for gossip. That was never a good sign. She drummed her fingers against the banister and then turned down her own hallway determined to believe Georg would do the right thing...and be completely prepared if he didn't.

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Please, please, please, please review!


	9. Caught

Sorry this took longer than usual. This was the hardest chapter for me, I'm not sure why. I hope you enjoy it, but I will say I think it's not quite there yet I just don't know what else to do with it, so reviews on this one are a must!!!!!

Welcome to the AU part of this story...from here out it's new territory for all of us!

* * *

Greet guest, click heels, introduce Elsa, smile, remember to smile.

The thoughts circled through Georg's head as he welcomed each new guest into his home. There wouldn't be many more now. He had recognized nearly everyone from the guest list and all of them seemed to have decided to attend. These were people he had not seen or spoken to in years. Some of them understood his seclusion. They knew how completely in love with Agathe he had been; they had celebrated such a union as it so rarely happened in their class. Others hadn't cared for either von Trapp, and had simply come to see what the new fuss was about.

The guests all arrived he and Elsa worked their way around. Elsa was much better at this than he was. She had been doing it more often as of late. He, on the other hand, had just returned to the social scene. Still, it was important, and it was not like he had never done anything like this before. He and Agathe had thrown many parties while she was alive; but these were thoughts that led down a very dangerous avenue, one he had to keep far away from for the rest of the night.

He nodded to the Baroness Linzt and her Husband; offered a smile to his friend Admiral Shieve; another nod to Herr Milstein. Everyone had formed their little groupings of people to talk to. Georg moved from one group to the next, listening carefully for something he could jump in on. There was nothing. Nothing moved him, had ever really moved him with these people. They were his friends supposedly. Really, the only friend he counted was Max, Elsa being his...something else, a bit more than friends he supposed. He couldn't help but smile as he finally found one person he might have something to say to.

She really was an excellent teacher. Governess. Seamstress. Confident. Manager. Song Writer. Puppeteer. General even, in some cases. He watched for a moment, not displeased his son wasn't getting it – he would eventually under her care. No, Georg was glad because it was now his chance, his chance to show Kurt and Freidrich how it was done – his chance to dance with her.

He offered his hand, knowing she would take it instantly. The hesitation was always in her eyes, but never in her actions; and it disappeared after the first turn. He would have to add dancer to the ever growing list of things she was good at. Her hands were loose but prepared. Her feet were light and perfectly on beat. She even followed the protocol – looking away from him at the appropriate parts. He couldn't find it within himself to do the same, instead taking the opportunity to take her in, she was absolutely beautiful, though he had never denied that. Yet, he had never had such a wonderful chance to appreciate how elegant she was as well. Her movement, her grace, the slight humming he could hear that went along with the music; all of it was every synonym he could think that fit beauty, broke the boundary of beautiful.

The music seemed to grow softer as his arms encircled her, twice. He hadn't felt this way about a woman since - suddenly, her face was inches from his. She stilled. Had she-?

She pulled away immediately and he knew. She had moved closer to him, brought her face to his, as though wanting, expecting...

"Your face is all red." Brigitta's voice broke through his thoughts.

"Is it? I don't suppose I'm used to dancing." Her hands moved to cover the slight flush that had painted over her cheeks. He smiled; a smile he could not remember the last time he had given a woman.

"That was beautifully done. What a lovely couple you make."

Elsa. Oh, yes, Elsa was there, that's why there was a party in the first place. He bowed to her slightly, suddenly realizing how tense the situation could have become.

Had Elsa seen? Did she know what nearly happened? A governess, postulant, expecting intimacy from a Captain, a Baron? It would not be acceptable on any grounds.

But he had never let the acceptable come in between him and the things he wanted. More importantly: the things he needed; the things that were right.

"Yes, well, I think it's time the children said goodnight." He spoke the first words that came to his mind, not even knowing the actual time.

"Yes...we have something very special planed, right?" Her voice regained its joyfulness as she spoke and he found himself releasing the deep breath he had been holding. He did not want to hurt her, or make her uncomfortable. Really, all he wanted was for her to feel exactly what he was feeling. This night was becoming increasingly more and more difficult.

He smiled as the children ran after her. He couldn't help but watch as she left. Even running with the children she was graceful, elegant, beautiful, and...enticing a little voice chirped in his head. He turned back offering Elsa his arm, which was the correct thing to do, for now. This was her night, it should go well for her. _Think of something to say_:

"Bit chilly out tonight?" The weather? He would have berated himself but:

"Oh, I don't know, seemed rather warm to me." Elsa's witty reply caught him off guard. Oh, he knew she could be scathing when she wanted to be, but she had never been that way with him.

"Ladies and Gentleman, the children of Captain von Trapp wish to say goodnight to you." Her voice filled the room, like it seemed to do in every room. It had a ring that he could catch anywhere he was in the villa, regardless of how far she was from him.

Not knowing what this special plan was he eagerly dragged Elsa to the main hallway, rushing to get to the front of the crowd.

* * *

The mirror had caught her eye and she stood in the hallway staring at herself. She was looking to see what had changed, because something had changed, and quite obviously so. Was it visible? If she stared at her face, body, long enough, would she see what it was? It seemed both likely and unlikely that she would see something. Unlikely because nothing had actually happened to her physical appearance. Likely because something inside her had changed, had changed drastically, and it only made sense that a change so grand would leave a mark on her outer self.

Yet, try as she might, she could not see the difference. Her hair was still nicely done, albeit a little windswept. Her dress hugged her body comfortably just as it had the first time she had put it on that night. Her smile looked the same; her eyes were as blue as they normally were. It didn't make any sense.

Not that the change itself had made sense, in fact it made even less sense. The blush that lingered on her cheeks, that was no accident, something had put that there. Something that had decided to well up inside her at the most inopportune moment. Something that she wasn't sure she was entirely ready to face, being quite okay with simply acknowledging its existence and then hiding it securely away. For she was going to have to do that anyway, wasn't she?

Yet, her whole body was on fire, and somehow nothing of it showed. But it must have shown, because she was absolutely certain he knew.

And he hadn't fired her. No, he had set her on fire instead.

He had looked at her with that half-smile, a blush even on his cheeks.

Not only did he know from looking at her, but her actions told the story as well. What had she been thinking?!

Maria turned and practically ran down the hallway, heading towards her bedroom. She was in such a rage at herself she didn't see and collided with Liesl as she turned the corner. The two women smacked foreheads and fell backwards, each reaching out to grab hold of the other.

"Liesl! I'm so sorry, dear. Are you alright?" Maria gained her balance back first and went to help the younger woman.

"Yes, yes, is it true?" Liesl jumped up quickly her eyes imploring her governess.

Was what true? Maria could hardly answer for herself. Was it true that her father had nearly been kissed by her governess? Was it true that she had felt more alive in his arms than at any other time she can remember? Was it true that any moment now she might be sacked for such inappropriate behavior? Or worse, she might not?

"Is what -"

"Are you going to be Uncle Max's guest? Are you joining the party? Oh, Fraulein Maria it's going to be so much fun!" The girl threw her arms around Maria's neck and nearly choked her before letting go, bouncing up and down rambling hysterically

"It's going to be so wonderful. You'll have to tell me everything. What are you going to wear? Will you dance with the other men there? They looked so handsome didn't they Fraulein Maria? And the ladies gowns. Oh! What are you going to wear?! Come I'll help you!"

"Liesl, I really don't think that's necessary," was what she tried to say, but the girl had grabbed her arm and was pulling her down the hallway almost as fast as she had run down it earlier.

Turning the last corner to get to her room, Maria's eyes caught the Baroness walking towards them, although she had clearly not seen them. This increased the already frantically beating heart in her chest. What had the Baroness seen?

_Why that was beautifully done. What a lovely couple you make._

Remembering those words. _Couple. _It wasn't supposed to be them! It wasn't supposed to be any man really. It was supposed to be God. Her life devoted to God, no one else. But the Captain was...so...impossible, and that was incredibly attractive. She nearly jumped at the realization, accidentally yanking her arm from Liesl and sending a large jolt of pain through her wrist.

Attracted to a man, her employer, it would have seemed so preposterous not the year before; and now she was attracted to him, and she had nearly kissed him. Giving into her impulses before the Reverend Mother's kind voice had stepped in:

_Going out into the world, knowing what we expect of you._

And what did she expect of herself? Certainly not this.

Her stomach was in knots, very painful tight knots that seemed to simply get tighter and tighter as Liesl threw her into her own room. Her heart was pounding a mile a minute, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to draw a breath. All she could see was his face, his face getting closer, not because he had moved but because she had, longing for more than his touch – wishing his hands were not gloved.

She had been so confused when he had offered his hand towards her. It seemed like a dream. Things you wished for never happened in real life unless you worked for them, and she most certainly had not worked for this. A party with dancing: Maria couldn't help thinking about dancing with someone, even though she had known it wouldn't happen. She would be with the children the whole night. Yet, some evil little person in her head kept showing inviting images of her dancing, dancing with the Captain. At the time she had shrugged it off as simply being that she knew the Captain would be there, and didn't know the other men who would attend. Of course it had been a stupid thing to tell herself because she also knew Herr Detweiler would be there, but she had never dreamt of dancing with him.

She sighed simultaneously with Liesl, who seemed to be at a loss for what her governess should wear to the party.

The girl was surveying all the dresses she had pulled out and laid across the bed. She was shaking her head.

A knock came upon the door startling them both from their worries.

"Come in." Maria spoke, her voice getting caught in the back of her throat somewhere, nearly causing her to choke. Oh she was in good shape, choking on her own voice.

The door opened and the Baroness entered. Upon seeing Liesl her smile disappeared slightly.

"I came to see if you needed any help preparing for the party." The smile returned as she spoke, "But I see you are in capable hands. Is there anything else I might be able to do?"

Don't marry the Captain.

Maria felt her face flush at the words echoing in her head. None of this was right. How could she think such a thing. She didn't want to marry him. She wasn't even in love with him! This was all so absurd.

Instantly she felt she had to leave. She knew she had to leave, flee, but not in front of Liesl. She would have to get both the Baroness and Liesl to leave her room before she could leave the villa and return to the abbey. It was the only right thing to do. She could not risk this temptation, not when she didn't even know what she was being tempted by. It was far too much.

"I don't think so, thank you. I'm sure we'll be just fine. It was kind of you to offer to help." Maria could feel, as much as she could hear, her voice shaking.

The Baroness simply nodded and continued her used smile, "then I will see you downstairs. Goodnight, dear," she added to Liesl before retiring the room.

The two women stared at the door momentarily. A thought popped into Maria's head and before she had time to stop it, it escaped her lips.

"Liesl, I never asked you, how did your talk go with your father? Did you learn what you wanted to learn?" Maria turned to fully face the girl, trying desperately to hide her burning curiosity.

"Oh yes." She paused. "Well, no, actually."

Maria gestured to the bed, moving over the dresses waiting for Liesl to explain while they sat down.

"He gave me a box with a ring inside it. He was it was Grandmother's." Liesl's brow furrowed as she tried to work out exactly what had transpired in the office that day, "He said that he understood it was important for me and my siblings to know who their new mother might be, if he should ever remarry... Then he said that I could keep the box, so when he made his decision he would have to come to me first, to retrieve the ring."

Even being as frustrated as she had ever been, it could only be the Captain who could make her want to laugh. What a terribly clever way to _not answer the question_.

"Then you have the ring right now?" Maria asked, trying to keep her voice calm.

"Oh yes, I carry it with me everywhere I go, just in case." As Liesl spoke she reached into the pocket of her dress and pulled out a very old faded black box. She opened the box and revealed an incredibly plain engagement ring. It was a simple gold band that twisted slightly, and in the center of the twist was a very small, almost unnoticeable, diamond. Maria's breath instantly died away.

"It's beautiful."

As plain and simple as the ring was it's beauty spoke to Maria. It was a very humble ring, from a humble man, even if he hid that side of him from time to time; and it had not yet been bestowed upon anyone. Liesl would know when it would be, and Maria was sure the girl would tell her when it happened. Somehow this made her feel much better.

She made up her mind at that moment. Until she knew that the Captain and the Baroness were going to be married, she would stay. That would be an appropriate time to tell the Captain she was leaving, and not hurt the children in the process: they would have a new mother and would no longer need her.

Another knock broke her thoughts as Louisa and Brigitta stumbled in through the door.

"Did you decide what you're wearing yet?"

"Are you really joining the party?"

"You girls are all going to get me into trouble, not being in bed on time.." Maria said standing from the bed. She sighed as the girls walked in anyway. Admitting defeat she waved her hand over the dresses for the girls to see what they were looking at.

After a few moments they each sighed in the same defeated tone Liesl had earlier.

"Are they really that bad?" Maria laughed.

"No, not at all. They're all so pretty, it's difficult to choose." Louisa said, her eyes still scanning over the fabric.

"I think you should wear this one." Brigitta picked up the light blue one she had worn the night Maria had learned the Captain could sing. The thought only served to bring another round of red to her checks and her whole body burned slightly.

"It's father's favorite."

Maria stared at Brigitta.

"How on earth do you know that?" She couldn't help but ask, her jaw completely dropping.

"I heard him talking to Uncle Max." The girl's innocence was mocking the situation in an increasingly uncomfortable way.

"Oh. Well, what do you two think?" Maria turned to the older two girls. They both took their turns studying the dress, touching it slightly, cocking their heads from side to side.

"I think it will do." Louisa's edge returned.

"Yes, you always look lovely in it." Liesl added.

"Thank you, Liesl." Maria picked up the dress and held it to her body, "Yes, I suppose this will do just fine. Now I want all of you to head back to your rooms, you're supposed to be in bed already."

"Oh no, Fraulein Maria, please let us walk you down."

"Yes, we'll help you with your hair."

"My hair? What's wrong with my hair?" Maria's hand instantly went to the offending blond cloud above her head. The girls giggled at her.

"Nothing's wrong with it, but we can change it a bit, make it look even nicer for the party." Louisa offered.

Still clutching her head, Maria answered, "No, I don't think that will be necessary. Let me get dressed and then we can head down, and right afterwards all of you are going to sleep."

They agreed and waited for her while she changed in her bathroom.

Again she found herself staring at a mirror. The light blue dress hung on her perfectly. She couldn't believe it was the Captain's favorite dress of hers. Why would he have a favorite dress of hers? And it had always been her favorite as well. It was uncanny and began to make her question her resolution to stay until the engagement.

Going to this party did not seem like a good idea. In fact, it seemed like an absolute horrible one. It especially seemed that way as she continued to stare at herself – she could see a difference, or she thought she could. She could see how light she was, how bright everything looked, and the blue in the dress only made it more apparent. Would everyone know? She hoped not, but wasn't in the mood to test it. She released a deep sigh, knowing the girls were waiting for her on the other side of the door. She had already taken too much time. Turning on her heels and allowing herself one last glance in the mirror she reentered her bedroom.

Smiling to the girls to prove to herself she could remain calm in dire situations, such as this, she walked with them down the hallway and back towards the sounds of the party. The music of the orchestra intermingled with an odd thumping sound and Maria figured the boys were not too far away. They, like their sisters, were probably to excited to go to sleep. Instead of picking out dresses though, they chose to run around the hallways perfectly aware their father was too busy to reprimand them, and their governess would now be engaged with the guests too.

She paused mid-step a few feet from the banister.

"I'm not so sure about this." She voiced her fears aloud, not being able to contain them anymore.

"What do you mean?" Liesl asked, her face framed in concern.

"Is this appropriate? A governess attending a ball? I mean, party?" Maria explained, feeling her palms grow sweaty in anticipation. She could see the Captain. He was standing with his back towards her, holding on the door frame of the ballroom talking to someone she could not see within.

"If you were invited, it's appropriate." Louisa cited and the three girls gently nudged their governess along the way.

They reached the bottom of the double staircase and Maria quietly shooed them away. She watched them walk up to their bedrooms, each one took a moment to look back at her and offer a smile. Although she had watched them head to their rooms, through her periphery her eyes never left the Captain. So, it came as no surprise to find him standing right next to her even though she was determinedly not looking at him.

"I see the girls helped you tonight." His low voice was highly intoxicating.

"Yes, I tried to get them to go to bed, but I'm afraid they were far too excited. Forgive me." She spoke quickly in response, and surprised herself: she could look him in the eye so easily.

He was looking at her the same way he had when they had parted from the dance. His face was still slightly red, and his eyes held such depth. It was unnerving how he never seemed to look away. Yet, she could not look away either. Her eyes being held by his own, it almost felt like a caress.

"There is no need to apologize." He said, his smile lengthening.

The only thing she found herself capable of doing was smiling back, her whole body seemed paralyzed, stuck to the floor. She swallowed and tried to control her breathing.

"Come, dinner is about to start." He offered her his arm. She stared at it for a moment before taking it. The fabric felt rough against her fingertips and she hardly allowed herself to put any more pressure on him than was needed. Actually she was barely even touching him, fearing it more than anything.

He began to move down the stairs but only managed the first step down when he stopped quickly as he noticed she was not following him. Her fingers moved slightly as his arm slowly slipped from her and she found herself pinching the fabric in order to keep him there while still keeping him away.

"I understand this might be overwhelming for you." His eyes brightened as his lips twitched in sympathy, "you do not have to join Max if it would make you uncomfortable."

A litany of thoughts flew through her mind at his words. Did he not realize that it was not Max she was worried about. Did he not see how absolutely flustered _he_ was making her? Surely he must know! She had thought he did know!

Overwhelming was right, but not just because of the party.

"But I already said I would." She moved to stand next to him on the step. She wanted to show she was not afraid, not just to him but to herself as well.

"No, you didn't, you didn't say anything. You merely nodded an acquiescence after much persuasion." Somehow it seemed he had moved closer to her, yet she had never even seen him move. "If you wish to return to your room it would be quite understandable. I know the children were rather trying this afternoon."

"I..." Words failed her, and she continued to drown herself in his blue eyes. If Kurt hadn't coughed at that very moment she was certain she would have repeated her motions from earlier. Why did she long so much to be near him, be as close to him as she possibly could?

"Fraulein Maria?" Kurt was standing on the main staircase leading up to his and his siblings rooms. The two adults turned to face him, the movement unintentionally bringing them together. Their bodies were now just barely touching and Maria felt her breathing disappear as her stomach clenched in near agony.

"Yes, dear?" She never knew how she managed to speak, and so clearly too. As if the Captain and his tantalizing proximity had no effect on her whatsoever.

"My stomach hurts." The boy placed his hands over his belly to prove his point. Maria felt her face fall at his pain. She moved towards him, letting the Captain's arm free. She felt a sense of loss as soon as she did.

"I told you not to eat so much before you sang." She spoke as she crouched to have a better look at Kurt. He was only a tad pale. It must not be too bad. She turned back to see the Captain had not moved from where she left him.

"I supposed I should..." She stopped speaking as she saw the concern on his face. He moved up to join her in front of Kurt.

"Yes, I suppose you should. I'll let Max know you won't be coming." The Captain spoke as he looked the boy over, something of a small smile beginning to appear on his face. "Feel better, son. You're in good hands."

An incredible amount of heat shot through her body as he said those words. She was sure her face had moved well past red by this point. After speaking to his son the Captain turned back to her. He gently eased her arm away from her side, allowing his hands to move down its length and take her own. She shivered at his gentle touch.

"If I may say so, Maria," he smiled almost shyly as his eyes caught hers for a moment, "you look absolutely lovely tonight."

With those words, he kissed her hand. It was such a soft kiss that if she hadn't been watching she might not have felt it. Even so, she was sure she had just fallen off a cliff.

He patted Kurt on his head and offered her a smile and a quick 'goodnight' before walking back towards the ballroom and his guests. She watched him until he disappeared in the crowd, and continued to stare at the place she had last seen him. Kurt tugged on her arm impatiently.

"I have a stomach ache, remember?" He said.

"Oh, yes, sorry. Come along." She hastily walked up the stairs with Kurt in tow, trying desperately not to think about what had happen; which of course she failed miserably at.

Once they reached his room she opened the door and said, "I'll head down to the kitchen to see if I can make that tea you like, it should help."

"Oh, you don't have to do that." Kurt said, offering a toothy grin.

"But your -"

"I just said that so you wouldn't have to go to the party. You looked so scared, I...I didn't want you to be scared."

The honesty of the boy complete with the dishonesty of it all made her want to laugh. She let out a quick giggle, trying to reign it in as she knew she had to offer some punishment for his lie.

"Oh Kurt. As kind as your intentions were it is never good to lie like that." She admonished, trying to keep the smile from her face. She failed at this as well.

"But you didn't want to go, right?" He asked, slightly worried.

"I...It does not matter what I wanted. You should not have lied, Kurt." She kept her hands on her hips to emphasize her words, and the young man hung his head in defeat, "Go on to bed now. I don't want to hear you doing something like this again, alright?"

"Alright." The boy mumbled and entered his room, closing the door behind him harshly.

With Kurt gone, Maria found herself alone in the hallway. She looked up and down to see if there was anyone there, or if anyone was coming. Nothing. She swallowed, realizing she could leave if she desired.

But why? Yes it was terribly frightening what she was feeling, but she didn't even really know what any of it meant. And she certainly didn't know what the Captain thought or what he meant by anything, if there even was anything to mean?

He had asked her to dance. That was not unordinary, men asked women to dance all the time, for all sorts of reasons.

Being in his arms had been wonderful, too wonderful she knew now. And as they neared the close of the dance she had moved forward, like the one and only time she had ever kissed a boy.

It had been such a simple thing to do, and so natural too. Her body had gone towards him as though entranced, her head had leaned forward and once her mind had caught up with what she had done she became dizzy and lost the pace of the dance.

It was for the best that she had released him. She could not have bared to imagine what would have happened if...

But nothing had happened. He had smiled, albeit oddly. The baroness had made her comments. The children had said goodnight. It was all completely normal.

Meeting the Captain at the bottom of the stairs had been unexpected, but it was his home, he could be wherever he wanted.

This is where things got tricky. His offering her his arm, the look in his eyes. Had she been imagining? And then there was the kiss. She shivered again just thinking about it. Closing her eyes she tried to regain some balance. She was still falling, there was no doubt in her mind, the drop from the cliff was a very very long way. Her stomach flip-flopped at the feeling.

Why had he kissed her like that and why had he said what he said? She rarely considered her looks before, why had he?

She was surprised when she finally reached her door, not having realized she had even been walking. She stared at the door in a slight daze, still going over the whole night in her mind. She opened the door to her room and began preparing for bed, but her thoughts never ceased.

The Captain was just behaving like a gentleman. He was simply treating her like a lady; which was only slightly odd since she was just a governess. Still, he wasn't a normal Baron, that was certain. He was treating her like a lady and it was nice of him to do so. She should be appreciative not frightened.

He was not what she was frightened of though. She was frightened of herself. These feelings he created in her were not something she could control. They were so foreign. There should be some way to know what this was. Perhaps she was coming down with something. She prayed it wasn't a fever, although then she would at least know what to do about it.

As she moved the unwanted dresses from her bed back into her armoir she decided. If this was some sort of test then she would have to stay. She would face whatever this was, it was inside her and until she could learn more about herself and what was effecting her so then she would have to stay. Relieved that she had made a decision without any overly emotive passion she climbed into bed and knew that the next day would come, the sun would rise, and the whole night would finally be over.

* * *

Totally understand if you hated this one. I promise the next one to be awesome...hopefully :)

Remember to Review!!!!! Please! Just press the little button down there...it's quite easy....thanks!


	10. Personal Questions

I'm trying to get back into the writing schedule I had earlier, so hopefully the next update will come much sooner. A quick warning: there is mild swearing in this chapter.

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The sun did not rise the next morning. Instead, it was the pattern of the rain on the windows that finally roused Maria from her sleep. She could hear the howling of the wind and the occasional crackle of thunder. It was enough to make anyone want to stay hidden, warm in bed. Unfortunately, the rain wasn't the sole reason she wished to stay under the covers. The covers provided a necessary escape from the reality she did not wish to face. The reality that she would see the Captain, most likely within a couple hours. Believing she could stay in that house with him, knowing how things had changed, had been a mistake. She did not think she could face him again and she hated herself for it.

Finally, moving her feet out from the covers she shivered against the cold seeping into her room. She also hated waking up angry; especially angry with herself. Groping around she found her robe; huddled in the wondrous softness she shuffled her way into her bathroom hoping a shower would not only warm her up but also alleviate the growing anxiety she felt. She would have to see the Captain today. The words kept repeating in her head. She would have to see the Captain today.

She threw off the robe and nightgown as quickly as she could, wanting to avoid the brief moment of chill before jumping in the shower. She stood in the tub and jammed the knob for the warm water as far as it would go.

Nothing happened.

She turned the knob back, and then turned it on again. No water. She tried the cold water, keeping as far back in the tub as she could; in vain, however, no water there either. All the annoyance, anger, anxiety that she felt from the night before to the conversation with the Baroness to the rain and the thunder and the cold. All of it came pouring out against the poor shower knob.

"Damn you stupid piece of shit!" She slammed her hand against the tiled wall. She briefly hoped it might fix the problem; any of her problems. It didn't. She sighed, knowing full well she would have to confess to the words she had spoken. She had managed to keep her cussing in public controlled, but in instances like these the words simply flew out of her mouth.

Realizing she was not going to be able to shower, or at least, not in her bathroom, she attempted to climb quickly out of the tub to avoid the cold. In her hast she promptly fell face first into the floor. Her body tumbled at an odd angle and she somehow ended up completely sprawled face down on the freezing tiles. She groaned angrily and slammed her fist onto the floor.

Standing up shakily she walked out of her room and tossed her bedclothes onto the bed. She threw open the armoir and grabbed the first dress she set her eyes on. Before she managed to put the dress on, however, there was a knock on her door. She stared at the door hoping she imagined it.

"Is everything alright in there?" The Captain's voice broke through her thoughts. Not now, no, she was not ready yet!

She swiftly pulled the dress on and ran her fingers through her hair. Why was the Captain here at this ungodly hour? She tried breathing deeply a few times, hoping he might just go away.

He didn't, instead he knocked again, this time obviously impatient. She sighed and walked across her room as slowly as she could.

She opened the door to find his face set in concern.

"What happened?" He asked, looking around the room for a moment before turning his eyes back to her.

"I...nothing, what do you mean?" She couldn't bear to look him in the eye, her focus locking on his furrowed brow instead.

"I heard a commotion from down in my study. Are you alright?" His voice was lower than usual, he must have just woken up as well.

"Yes, yes, fine." She stared blankly back at him hoping for some inspiration. Her mind finally caught up with his words, "You heard -?"

She could feel her face reddening by the second. She knew he was used to her clumsiness. Yet now it seemed of great importance to be more graceful in his presence, to be more ladylike. She still couldn't place, didn't want to place, why she felt like that.

"You're quite the little sailor, aren't you?" He chuckled.

Oh dear.

How in God's good name could he have heard that?! She stared at her feet, there was no way she could explain herself. Those were not words for a governess to be using, and was most certainly not very ladylike.

"The pipes, there's no water in the pipes I think...no water." She stuttered still counting her toes. She had forgotten to put shoes on before answering the door. She was beginning to feel like a sailor. She had expected that her first run in with the Captain would be something of a disaster, but this was exceeding those expectations by far.

"Ah, cursing my pipes I see. Well, I'm sure Frau Schmidt can arrange another room for you until it's been looked into. I'm glad you're alright." He added and then with a nod turned away from her doorway laughing silently to himself.

She watched him walk for a moment and then:

"Captain!"

He turned immediately at the sound of her voice, "Yes?"

"I was wondering, if, um," She jogged her hand up and down hopping it might jog her memory. There was something important she needed to ask him.

"Yes?" He was standing in front of her again, his voice much lighter as though he could sense her nervousness.

"I was wondering if I might, uh, well, if I might, that is, if you don't mind, have Tuesday off?" Finally, the words found a way out and she felt another sigh flow through her.

"Of course. Is there, uh, any particular reason?" He asked. If she didn't know any better, she might have said he was nervous now.

"Oh, um, well, it's rather personal actually."

She could barely believe her eyes: he was disappointed!

"Oh, yes, of course, how rude of me." He straightened his jacket out, "Well, I'll see you at breakfast then, if that's all?"

"Yes, Captain, that is all."

She watched him as he walked away from her. It wasn't until he was completely out of her sight that she retreated back into her room and closed the door. She leaned on it for a few minutes, allowing herself to go over the entire conversation. Her conclusion: Tuesday couldn't come soon enough.

* * *

Tuesday dawned with an explosive headache and Maria spared no time in leaving the villa. The rest of the week had finally caught up to her. The day after the party had been mishap after fiasco after catastrophe. She had accidentally spilled a glass of milk on the carpet, then she had broken a chair just by sitting on it! The day after that yielded a scraped knee from falling off a bike, in front of the Captain of course. The day after that was Sunday and they had all attended church together where she had run into Sister Berthe and had to kiss the floor after their brief disagreement, this was in front of the Captain as well, though thankfully not in front of the children. Monday had been decent, mainly because the Captain had been gone the entire day, and when he had returned he had remained in his study brooding about something or other.

On top of all this, the Baroness had left the villa and returned to Vienna. This made Maria both elated and distraught. Neither feeling she could truly explain. There had been no explanation given as to why the Baroness had left so suddenly and for some reason Herr Detweiler kept sending Maria these looks as if he knew something she didn't. It was very unnerving given that Herr Detweiler had hardly ever offered her even a passing glance in the past; with the exception of the party and that had simply been "business". Maria tried very hard to avoid ruminating on the whys and hows of the Baroness' departure, as any thought on the matter tended to make her rather dizzy.

After leaving the villa so quickly, she soon found herself standing in the main square of Salzburg staring at the marketplace before her. The city bustled about around her as she tried to clear her thoughts. Today was not the day to think about such matters. It was an unnecessary burden on an already heartbreaking day. Of all the days this week it was the one day she had actually wanted to see the Captain. Not to talk to him really, or even see him for very long (she had realized the amount of time she spent in the Captain's presence was proportional to the likelihood she would make a fool of herself). She had simply wished for a brief 'good morning' as they passed each other in the hallway. He had a remarkably comforting presence, and today she was most in need of it.

However, she had not seen the Captain at all. She had taken her breakfast with the children and Herr Detweiler, who had informed her that the Captain was already in town on business. Knowing this now, Maria couldn't help but hope she might catch a glimpse of him.

She shook her head violently trying to assuage her thoughts. Again, this was not what today was about; not the Captain, not the Baroness, not even the children. Today was about remembering. She sighed and began to make her way into the everyday turmoil that existed in downtown Salzburg.

It didn't take long to find the vendor she needed. Herr Zierkirsche always set up his flower stand in the same place everyday and every year she bought the same bouquet. She walked confidently, eyes scanning, picking exactly what she needed. She wasn't surprised to find everything was the same as last year. Well, almost the same.

The prices had changed, drastically. Her purse suddenly felt incredibly light as she stared at the amounts.

Forty schillings for one bouquet! She had been saving for this for months and still she would never be able to afford such an expense.

Disappointment set in as she continued to stare longingly at the assortment of flowers. She tried to find the cheapest ones but even those were more than she had. She watched sadly as a young woman bought three bouquets in rapid succession as though it hadn't even occurred to her to check the prices. Maria doubted the woman even heard Herr Zierkirsche when he announced how much she owed.

Deciding it was too disheartening to stay at the stand any longer, Maria turned and slowly made her way down the street. She stopped briefly to allow herself one last look – trying to remain determined. People kept jostling her as they ran around with their own purchases. Oh well, her parents had been more fond of wild flowers anyway.

She turned around and found herself facing the neat knot of a single windsor tie. She had seen the tie before and upon seeing the face of its owner she smiled softly.

"Good morning, Captain." She said, stepping back, he must have nearly run into her, given his proximity.

"Good morning, Fraulein. Enjoying your time off?" He was so calm that is was difficult to explain the sudden jumble of nerves that had erupted in her belly.

"Yes," She stumbled in her words, she didn't like lying if she could avoid it, "well, no."

She glanced back at the flower stand. His eyes followed her movements and a small smile appeared on his lips.

"Looking to buy?" His eyebrows piqued in anticipation.

She sighed, "Yes."

Now knowing she wouldn't be able to afford the flowers she needed, it felt somewhat humiliating having someone else know as well. She saw his smile grow and had only a brief moment to wonder what he was going to do, and then he touched her elbow and all thought disappeared. He guided her to the spot she had been standing at moments before.

She stared at him while he looked over the various floral arrangements. Herr Zierkirsche was working with another woman, a very finicky woman who couldn't seem to make up her mind. Maria notice the woman taking notice of the Captain who was far too busy to notice any of it. The woman seemed quite pleased with the Captain, looking over his entirety with a sly grin. This woman was making Maria feel even more uncomfortable with the situation. She was fully prepared to tell the Captain she did not need him to buy her flowers, that she would be fine without them, and this woman was now distracting her from her thoughts on how best to phrase her 'oh, thank you but no's'.

"Now, what were you looking at, Maria?" The Captain's voice broke through her thoughts, and caught Maria so off guard she forgot what she was going to say.

"Oh, well, I..." She looked to see the woman smirking at her, "Those, the violets and edelweiss combination."

This statement turned the woman's smirk into a look of complete indignation. As the Captain happily payed the proprietor, the woman cast him one last look, this time in distaste, and headed off to do the rest of her shopping. Maria became quite pleased with herself as she watched the other woman walk away. The feeling quickly disappeared when the Captain handed her the flowers.

"Oh, Captain, you really didn't have to -"

"Please." He spoke politely, but his voice and manners left no room for argument.

"Thank you." It really had been a wonderfully nice thing for him to do.

"You are quite welcome." His smile broke into an intoxicating soft laugh which she couldn't help but join.

As they walked away from the hustle of the market, Maria found herself looking over at the church realizing that very soon she would have to depart the Captain's side, head to the cemetery and pay her respects. She stopped walking and he stood in front of her as though anticipating their impending departure. Yet, in that second he seemed as happy as he had been after the puppet show. His smile seemed almost permanently fixed, his stance relaxed and open, as though these were the moments he had been longing for, the moments, perhaps, he thought he'd lost. It was staggering to know she was a part of those moments, that she had somehow helped, even if her part had been small.

"May I ask -"

"Yes?" She hadn't meant to interrupt him, but he had interrupted her thoughts and she still felt rather jumpy in his presence.

"For whom did you buy the flowers?" He rocked on his feet as he spoke, and this sign of nervousness is what allowed her to feel comfortable, not only in his presence but also in providing him with a truthful answer.

"My parents." As she spoke she pointedly looked at the cemetery. His eyes followed, as she knew they would. His face registered what she was telling him, dropping slightly before his eyes returned to her.

"I'm sorry, I...I didn't know." The sympathy filling his eyes threatened to overwhelm her. She had a feeling she knew why he would feel so strongly about death.

"It's quite alright." She was tempted to explain that it had happened many years ago, but revealing such a detail seemed oddly vain; as though it said she could be so brave since it had happened long ago.

He had turned to stare at the cemetery again. She wondered what he was thinking; marveled at how such a strong, brilliant, confident man could be broken by something so simple. But, then again, the love he'd had for the late Baroness must have not been so simple. It must have been something as strong, brilliant and confident as he was. She wondered what it would be like to receive such a love. It gave her chills.

"Do you need someone to accompany you?" He asked gravely.

"That won't be necessary, Captain." She offered a slight smile, trying to alleviate some of his tension. It didn't. Instead he turned back once more to look at the few graves that could been seen from where they stood.

"Are you...are you sure?" There was a glimpse of longing in his eyes as he asked her. She began to realize it wasn't so much her he wanted to accompany, but rather, perhaps he wished to visit someone else? Of course she had no way of knowing where the late Baroness was buried, but knowing the Captain, something told her Baroness von Trapp would not be far from home.

"Yes," She moved to catch his eyes and once he had turned back to her she tried desperately not to seem like she was aware of his need, "however, if you'd like to join me, you are welcome to."

"Are you sure?" He asked again, this time more hopeful.

"Mmhmm," she hummed. Besides, having the Captain by her side was always a soothing reassurance.

He took one last glance at the cemetery and then said, "excuse me, one moment."

He touched her arm as he moved past her, sending shivers up her spine. She watched him walk back into the crowd and towards the flower vendor. Maria couldn't help but smile as she watched him buy a large bouquet of red roses. Her eyes never left him as he hurried back towards her, his head bowed, gait oddly stiff. Once he reached her he offered her a tight smile and they headed into the cemetery together.

* * *

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	11. With You

Okay, warnings: this is in no way historically accurate, also, some drinking will occur. Enjoy!

* * *

They walked in silence towards the graveyard, towards Agathe. Lingering in the back of his mind was the realization that this was the first time, in the few months he had known Maria, that he was not entirely focused on her. Instead, his mind seemed to be traveling in as many different directions as the trails that travel up the Untersberg. He had not been to see Agathe in six months or more, and it had always been alone. This thought unnerved him more than any other as he had always assumed he would one day go with his children or with a new wife, someone he loved dearly; more importantly, someone who would understand.

The rusted gate was difficult to move. It took several good pries before it sprang out, nearly knocking Maria off her feet. Knowing how difficult it would be to actually step through the gate he allowed Maria to walk in first. A gesture that normally should have been born out of a certain gentility, he took displeasure in knowing it came from cowardice. To have Maria see his anguish would be too much, and in this situation fleeing was not an option. It was a surprising thought, seeing how far he had fallen from the glory days of his youth. Fear had never been in his sights then, and now it seemed to lay at the foundation of every action he took.

The small path that led through the graveyard was overgrown with weeds and wild-flowers. The dirt scuffed his shoes and left stains on the hem of his pants causing him to wonder if Maria was in anyway physically bothered; her legs were receiving the same earthy attack as his pants. A trivial thought, and one he hoped to hold onto as they made their way deeper into the cemetery. Any thought that did not dwell on the coming emotional upheaval was one to cling to. He did not wish for Maria to see him at his worst moments, and yet he would not miss the chance to learn anything he could about her: even her own worst moments.

After a minute of walking, Maria took a sharp right and headed down an even smaller path towards an older section of the cemetery. This made him pause. This little path, depending on how far they went, could lead them straight to Agathe. He wasn't sure if he was prepared for that yet.

Maria turned around, probably noticing he was no longer on her heels. She stood patiently, her normal curiosity notably absent from her bright blue eyes. As he caught up to her she spun back around and continued down the narrowing path. Focusing more and more on anything but the moment, he nearly ran into the branch of an approaching tree. He was very grateful Maria had her back to him.

The brief pause allowed him to realize Maria had finally stopped. She was standing in a small clearing in front of two small graves. Deciding it was best to give her a moment alone, Georg remained by the indignant tree but watched her closely.

She stood at the graves for a long time; just staring. There was no perceptible movement from her, the woman he had thought never stopped going. She stood, her back slightly hunched, the bag over her shoulder forcing her to lean slightly to the right. Her face was clouded by her hat, but he could easily visualize the sorrow glossing her eyes. She stood at the graves for a long time.

She didn't budge as a cool wind swept across the grounds, her fingers didn't even move. Realizing that this was possibly harder for her than she had originally let on, Georg slowly moved towards her, looking to simply indicate his presence, should she need it. Once he too was in the clearing he stilled, waiting for a sign from her that this was acceptable.

He was now close enough to see the little graves himself. They were side by side and read:

VICTOR FRANCA 1888 - 1921

HOLLE FRANCA 1896 - 1920

The simplicity was heartbreaking. These were two people who had had little money, who had died leaving behind a young daughter with absolutely nothing. Calculating the dates in his head, Georg realized Maria would have been orphaned before she had reached Marta's age. The chills flowing through him had little to do with the changing weather.

Running forward quickly he tried to catch Maria as she fell to her knees. He stilled, watching as she pulled off her hat exposing her serene face, her eyes closed, lips moving slightly. She hadn't fallen, he realized. She was praying.

She settled in front of her parents graves, her legs casually resting in the dirt. After a brief moment she opened her eyes and dug through the bag still slung across her shoulder. The jiggling of her various effects broke the silence that had been with them since they had entered the graveyard. She huffed, not being able to find what she was looking for. Pulling the bag off her shoulder she stared into it and then dove her arm back into the bag. At last, she pulled from it a black box no bigger than the size of his palm.

"It was my Mother's." Her calm voice startled him as she placed the box in-between the two graves.

He moved closer to better see what she was doing. She opened the box to reveal a little ballerina placed on a small platform that clearly moved on the little rails around the bottom of the box. Suddenly, music began to play. It played only a few notes before stopping. Looking to Maria he noted she was as surprised as he was.

"It...It's been broken for years!" As she spoke she picked the music box back up and examined it carefully. Shaking it a few times and looking through the rails inside, she gave up after realizing it must have been a fluke.

Not keen to see her disappointed, Georg offered, "Allow me."

She handed it to him, their fingers brushing from the exchange. She immediately looked away when this happened, and he felt his lips turn slightly as though he were going to smile, but he knew he couldn't, not now, not here.

He looked it over, going through the same motions as she had just before, but he could find nothing wrong with it on appearance alone. If he were going to fix it for her he would have to open it up, and he wasn't sure if he could do that without breaking it entirely. After looking it over he caught her watching him, completely entranced. She looked away again, and a slight blush appeared on her cheeks. Her lips moved again, but this time he was pretty sure she had just apologized to her parents in prayer.

That was a sobering thought.

Remembering how young and poor she must have been when she had lost her parents, he wondered if this music box was all she had left of them. He set it back on the ground, watching it as it rocked slightly before settling in the dust. It was old, rusted, broken, and he knew exactly why she kept it.

She stared at it with him. Music had always been something they shared and now those four notes still lingered in his mind, just as he knew they were playing in her own. She stood suddenly, taking the box with her. He rose, not as quickly, his knees creaking against the strain.

"They died on the same day, a year apart." She explained.

He looked back at the two tombstones. The exact dates were not etched into the stone.

"Mother from typhus, and Father, well, everyone said it was from a broken heart." She continued.

Her words slowly settled as a growing nausea began brooding in the pit of his stomach. It was much to close to his own story. Agathe had died from scarlet fever and he as good as died just afterwards, at least as far as everyone else was concerned. Would it have been different if he had only had one child? Instead of the seven he knew needed him? There had been many nights where he had prayed for death only to wake later drenched in shame and remorse. And then one night Max had found him, clutching a bottle of sherry, pistol in his hand, mumbling about a meaningless life – at least that was how Max told it. He didn't remember any of it. Grateful only that his children had never seen him in such a state.

The sweat that was falling from his forehead had no place there in the cool air. A visible sign of his disquietude. Maria was looking at him, this time in worry. She would not look away now, her concern was too great. He attempted a reassuring smile. Perhaps it was simply because he had tried to smile, for she, in one simple look, told him she knew he was in pain, but also knew he could move past it.

She finally set the flowers on the two graves. Violets for her mother, edelweiss for her father. After blowing a kiss at the two graves, she moved away and stood expectantly.

It was his turn now.

He turned and walked past her parents heading into the older, richer, part of the cemetery. It was almost embarrassing to bring her there. As though it was more a reminder of how wealthy and therefore wonderful his life was, even in death. The rain began falling while they walked.

"We can head back if you would prefer." He offered, indicating the rain.

"I don't mind a little rain, Captain."

Her offset smile knew far too much.

Luckily, they did not have far to walk and the rain was light. As they approached the large tombstone he became increasingly tempted to take her hand, if only for its comfort. Yet, he did not. Instead, he steeled himself against the onslaught of emotions that fought through him, wave after wave, as if he was back on the ocean.

He apologized for not coming more often.

It was right to bring Maria.

It was completely unacceptable to have brought a governess.

How many other people had been to see Agathe, while he had seemingly ignored her?

Maria was a comforting presence that he had not had since Agathe, would his late wife accept her?

Could he ask for a sign?

Would he recognize it if he was even given one?

The thoughts piled on each other the closer he got, wave after wave striking his body. He felt physically ill. As he turned to face the tombstone, which was almost as tall as he was, he abruptly felt everything settle.

It had been three years that he had been mourning. Three years that he had watched his children grow without him. Three years he had longed for one more embrace, one final kiss, one last moment of grace.

He had thought he had moved on when he had finally allowed Elsa into his life.

Who had he been fooling?

He was never going to move on, or forget the one great love of his life. How could Romeo ever forget Juliet? He almost envied Victor and Holle for being reunited so quickly.

Maria coughed slightly and he returned to the world. No, there were things he still had to do, people he still had to live for, and a woman behind him who was beginning to mean just as much to him as the woman in front of him had.

The eye of the etched eagle on the top of the tombstone seemed to be expecting an answer, a resolution to the problems burning in his heart. There was only one thing left to do, it seemed. He had to ask for, and receive forgiveness.

Kneeling in front of Agathe, as he had seen Maria do moments before, and as he had done only once in his life to Agathe – the happiest day of his life – he began his prayer.

He thought of Liesl: how she had blossomed into the beautiful young woman he, as Maria had said, barely recognized. He wondered if there was any worldly wisdom he still had left to give her, or if she would be willing to take it after all the years of nothing.

Friedrich was nearly a man, and it quite obvious how taken his son had become with his governess. Yes, Friedrich would be one to watch in the coming years. You had said so, Agathe, you always knew Friedrich had inherited my wolfish ways. Old wolfish ways, he corrected himself. He put those ways far away from his home once he had married. After all he had had the only woman he could ever want.

Moving to Louisa he remembered their time with the little puppy. She had grown up quite suddenly as well, sometimes showing more maturity than even Liesl. She had certainly inherited Agathe's stubbornness and strong will. Out of all his children he felt he shared the most with Louisa; though he loved them all equally.

He considered each of his children, how much he had missed with them. He asked God to help them forgive needed their forgiveness; and he had realized he needed it before he made any rash decisions concerning their governess.

Maria.

He needed to know Agathe could accept her. She would never replace, only heal, love.

The rain was becoming heavier. He lifted his head skyward, feeling the drops grace his face, helping to hide any tears he might have shed – his family needed to become whole again, and they needed to be safe before that could ever happen.

Too many problems to deal with at once, he prayed for one last thing: the strength to do everything that was needed of him.

Finally crossing himself, he rose, unsurprised to find Maria standing next to him. The church bells began to ring, loudly as they were standing so close to the cathedral, signaling noon-time mass.

He smiled bitterly, "And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."

He turned to see her confused face, her eyes wide, brow furrowed. He explained, "John Donne."

"I know," she whispered.

A crackle of thunder broke overhead causing both to look up. A lightening bolt streaked across the sky lighting up the rooftop of the cathedral, the cross remained illuminated for a second afterward.

The rain beat down on them even harder. Taking one look at Maria they shared a thought and then went sprinting towards the main gate. Maria was laughing as she lost her hat to the wind, he grabbed it before it flew farther into the distance. He couldn't help but laugh as well. Leaving the cemetery felt like he had left an enormous weight behind, a weight he hadn't even known he was carrying.

They reached the marketplace where people were scattering, some heading into the church, others boarding up their booths. He placed her hat on her head and she laughed again.

"Did you take the bus?" He asked, having to shout through the downpour to be heard.

"Yes!" She shouted back.

"I have the car if -"

"Yes!" She didn't let him finish his offer and he laughed again. He took her arm and directed her through the twists and turns of Salzburg's streets. Finding the car he quickly unlocked her door and ushered her inside, then hurried around to the other side.

Sliding into the relative warmth of the car, he slammed the door and immediately started the engine. Catching her as she shivered, he reached in the backseat and pulled the blanket to the front. He kept it there for just such occasions. It was a big, warm blanket with a large boat printing spanning the width. He gently draped it around her shoulders and she huddled into it, his hands skimming the soft material of her dress.

"Thank you." Her voice shivered.

He retuned to his seat, "you're welcome."

Putting the car into gear he drove off, slowly through the rain.

"The children will be glad to have you back so soon." He began, "They were quite worried about your leaving this morning."

"Oh. You saw them?" She asked.

"Yes, they accosted me just before I left. They seemed to think you might have been sacked." He chuckled.

"What? Why would they ever think that?" She seemed genuinely shocked by the notion.

"Well, I did fire you once before." He reminded her.

"Yes, but I thought we were past that." Her hands fidgeted, indignantly folding the blanket further around her.

"Well, we are, but I'm afraid children's memories seem to exist as much in the past as in the present." Laughing he added, "regardless, they will be very happy to see you this afternoon."

This made her smile.

He loved making her smile.

"You didn't want to go to mass this afternoon as well, did you?" He asked.

"Well, yes, how did you know?" She slid towards his side of the car as he took a sharp turn.

"You mentioned once how you would like to attend more often." He explained, trying not to let her proximity affect his mind.

"I see, it's a bit late for that now though, isn't it?" She moved back to her window, and he felt slightly lost, which was odd especially given she hadn't even touched him.

"Not at all, I can turn around quite easily you know." He sent her an ironic wink and this time she laughed.

He loved making her laugh as well.

"No, it's alright. I can never sit still for mass anyway." Her admittance seemed to warm the inside of the car, "I'm really not well suited for this religious life, as much as I want it."

This admission he let settle over them. It warmed his very core. It provided light where there previously hadn't been any.

He pulled the car into the villa's roundabout, pulling the parking brake before getting out in the rain to open the door for her. He pulled off his jacket, allowing her to use it to cover her hair as she rushed into the main hallway. Watching her enter the villa and then turn around and offer him a salute he couldn't help the laughter that bubbled through him once more. He parked the car in the garage on the side of his home and entered the villa through the servant's door.

* * *

The children had been very pleased to find their governess returned to the villa. The eighth member rejoined, they spent the rest of the day in the parlor playing games and singing. It felt like the home Georg remembered. Dinner had been a feast to make up for the dismal weather and afterwards he had consented to play a game of hide and seek with Marta and Gretl.

The evening went quickly and the children said their goodnights. Maria disappeared for some time while she sang her lullabies and set the children's fears of boogie men and thunderstorms to rest.

With Marta and Gretl off in bed Georg took the opportunity to open another case of his favorite beer. It was an interest that very few in his class took part of, a failure on their part he felt, as beer had as many interesting and challenging tastes as wine did. Very few people knew the extent that one might enjoy a good beer and he took every opportunity to teach anyone he could, Max especially. He knew very well that Max hated beer, but Georg was sure that with enough persuading he could convert the gin drinker into something much more enticing. He also knew that he had far too much fun bullying Max into doing something he didn't like.

Of course the fun never lasted too long, he always let Max make some excuse to run away; which he had done leaving Georg alone to enjoy a very fine oatmeal stout in his absence. His focus was so intent on tasting the multitude of flavors intoxicating his senses it came as a bit of a shock when he heard someone playing the piano.

The piano had been brought down from storage for the party and had never been sent back. Its current residence in the ballroom had yield it untouched after the party was over, as Georg was the only occupant of the villa who knew how to play. At least, he had thought he was the only one. That the piano was now being played seemed to suggest otherwise.

He left the parlor in pursuit of the unnamed pianist and was unsurprised to find the bench occupied by Maria Franca, his lovely little governess.

Shaking his head at such a tag he began to take in how much beer he had had. He was by no means drunk, but there was a certain lightheadedness that was beginning to take effect. Leaning on the doorframe of the ballroom he allowed himself to listen as she played. She was certainly not an expert, playing a very slow version of Chopin's Prelude in E minor. A simple piece marked by extreme beauty and, the way she was playing it, immense sorrow. He wondered if she was thinking about their morning together.

She tripped through the end, missing the one triplet, and losing the bass note on the final chord. Nevertheless it was very expressive and thoroughly enjoyable, so much so that he simply had to clap. She turned quickly at the sound and instantly blushed.

"Thank you, Captain, but I hardly think that's necessary." Her words were modest but the pride showed through in her voice.

"Why not? It was rather delightful." Perhaps he was drunker than he thought, using a word like delightful for such a sour piece.

"Oh, I would hardly say that." She turned back to the piano to hide her increasing blush. He sat on the bench next to her, eager to see her hands as she played.

"Play me something else." He requested.

"Oh, Captain, I don't think I know anything else." Her fingers moved across the keys, gently touching them without making a sound as she thought about what she could play. He knew that was what she was doing even as she denied it.

"I'm absolutely certain that you do. Please." He added, realizing he might be being too forceful.

Finally, she nodded her acquiescence, and then her face turned an even brighter red.

"I'm afraid you might not like it too well." She confessed, not daring to look at him.

"Don't be so sure, my dear, I am a man of many tastes." He kept his voice smooth as he spoke, hoping to lull her into resignation.

She sighed, "Well, here goes."

She straightened up and set her fingers along the chords she would need. She took a deep breath and then:

Nothing.

He looked up at her. Her eyes were closed and she was mouthing words, her head bobbing to some invisible tune.

Oddly, he was quite certain she had just mouthed 'present arms'. She was up to something.

Finally, she began to play, two measures of a light staccato beat, harmonies moving in a circle up and down a fifth. Then she began to sing, and he nearly fell of the bench in laughter:

_I am the monarch of the sea_

_The ruler of the Queen's Navee,_

_Whose praise Great Britain loudly chants_

He entered, singing the chorus through his laughs:

_And we are his sisters and his cousins and his aunts,_

_and we are his sisters and his cousins and his aunts,_

_his sisters and his cousins and his aunts!_

Maria came in again with the verse, as they took the two parts in turns:

_When at anchor here I ride,_

_My bosom swells with pride_

_and I snap my fingers at a foeman's taunts;_

_And so do his sisters and his cousins and his aunts_

_and so do his sisters and his cousins and his aunts._

_His sisters and his cousins and his aunts!_

_But when the breezes blow, _

_I generally go below_

_and seek the seclusion that a cabin grants_

_And so do his sisters and his cousins and his aunts_

_and so do his sisters and his cousins and his aunts_

_and so do his sisters and his cousins and his aunts_

And then they sang together:

_his sisters and his cousins, whom he reckons up by dozens, and his aunts!_

She finished with three loud chords, the last she jokingly made minor. By the end they were both in hysterics. Catching his breath as quickly as he could, a difficult feat as every time one got their breath the other would start up again.

Finally he settled, an occasional chuckle escaping him as he spoke, "marvelous! Although I must say, I enjoy _Never Mind the Why and Wherefore _far more_._"

"Truly? I would have thought _When I was a lad_ to be more your forte." She presented him a toothy smile to go along with her jibe.

"Oho! Is that so? I suppose _Poor Wandering One_ is your favorite then? Very fitting." He added before she had the chance to answer. Then he sang, "_Take heart, no danger low'rs; Take any heart – but ours."_

Thankfully she laughed, he had been afraid that might have gone too far, but she seemed to enjoyed his teasing.

"It is one of my favorites, however that is the wrong opera, Captain." She corrected him.

"Oh, forgive me, I have not seen either in some time." He explained.

"Yes, it's been a while for me as well. I used to go every few months." She began doodling on the piano, playing little bits of famous pieces by ear.

"Really?" Watching her fingers caress the keys was mesmerizing for him.

"Mmhm, in school, every few months they did a new student opera. They were free and the entire school would attend. It was such fun." She stopped playing, allowing herself a chance to look at him while he watched her hands. He purposefully continued to stare at the keys, seeing her watch him in his periphery.

"I believe I read in the paper today that the _H.M.S. Pinafore_ is playing in town right now in fact." He did remember reading that and was beginning to find it a wonderful coincidence.

"It would be quite a thing to see it done professionally." She sighed again, she knew she didn't have the money for such pleasures. He knew it as well, and he knew exactly what had just been offered him.

It had to be a sign. It was too good to be luck.

"I was considering getting tickets, if you would like to go." He said it quickly, not wanting to miss his chance.

She stared at him for a moment before answering, "you wish to take me?"

He nodded his response, watching as she began to understand what he was suggesting.

"With the children?" Even the way she said it, he knew she didn't expect the children to attend.

He clarified anyway, "without the children."

She stood from the bench and backed away from him. He felt his face drop and tried to control the disappointment from appearing.

"Captain," She began, and after a brief moment of silence, he knew she was not going to continue. He opened his mouth to explain, but found words difficult to form. Instead they stood there, starring across the piano at one another. The confusion was evident in her eyes, and yet he also thought he saw a longing there as well. Although he knew he could easily be imagining it.

"Sir." Franz appeared next to them so suddenly they both jumped.

"Yes, Franz?" He asked impatiently.

"A telegram for you." The old butler handed him the small piece of paper and everything stopped.

_Anshluss occured. STOP. Austria now NAZI Germany. END._

His first thought was that it was too short. The telegram was too short. How could something so utterly despairing be condensed to eight words? His hands were shaking as he crumpled the paper. Franz left quickly, probably having read it himself.

He turned trying to focus on something, anything to stabilize the reality he was facing. His country was gone. Hope had quickly been replaced by fear and anger. Why had he ever been hopeful? There was nothing now. Only his children. His children, he had to tell them they were leaving their home. Because their home no longer existed. He threw the paper on the ground as hard as he could manage. As he straightened, failing to control the anger pulsating through him a soft hand took his arm and he was startled out of his fury. Maria's beautiful face swam into view and he found something he could focus on. Something that was real.

"What happened?" She asked, although her eyes seemed to guess.

Not having the words yet, he picked up the telegram and handed it to her. She unfolded the crumpled ball and gasped as she read its contents. Her hand found his arm again. As she swayed dangerously his arm wrapped around her back to offer support until he helped her down to the bench. He sat down behind her, and allowed her to lean against him.

They sat there, together, for five minutes exactly. He knew because he watched the clock the whole time. At exactly five minutes she stood from him, crumpling the paper back up and heading out of the ballroom. Georg followed her, knowing she was aware of him all the way through the villa.

The door to her bedroom was where she stopped finally. Even though he knew it wasn't proper he had followed her the whole way, needing to know what she was thinking.

She harshly opened the door, watching it fling against the wall and bounce back. However, she did not enter. She turned to him.

"What are we going to do?" She asked.

"Leave, as soon as possible. Tomorrow morning, or perhaps night, depending on what happens next." He answered quickly. Nodding, she looked over her room. He felt a twinge of unnecessary guilt, he still had yet to fix her pipes.

"I need to go to Nonnberg before we go." She spoke to him, still looking over the room.

"I feel we don't have much time."

"I know. I'm leaving tonight." She entered her room as she spoke and pulled out her carpet bag from under her bed. He stood in her doorway.

"It's far too late for that."

"There's a bus at half-past ten I can still make." She flung open her armoir, throwing a few dresses in her bag. Glancing around she also took her bible. Oddly, she left her music box sitting on her night stand.

"Have the children ready, I'll be back before ten tomorrow morning. Is that enough time?" Her hurried manner was more frantic now, she had entered her bathroom to gather her necessities.

"Earlier. Can you be back at Eight?" He asked, her frantic movements making him edgy.

She thought about it a moment, then standing in the doorway of her bathroom she hung her head. She looked as defeated as he felt, "yes, we'll leave at eight."

"Good. There's no rush," he tried to convince himself, "I haven't been requested for anything yet, and I can't imagine they'll close the borders."

She nodded, eyes still shining with worry. Finished packing, she took her bag and left her room. He took her bag from her as they made their way through the multitude of hallways. He had never cursed the size of his house before, but now, when time was so important, he couldn't imagine why he had ever thought to buy such a grandiose thing. Once in the main hallway he helped Maria with her coat and handed her the carpet bag. She looked exactly like she did when he had first met her. The only change was the stern set of her face. He needed to say something, even through such a dire situation, she needed to know.

"Love can level ranks." He spoke the lyrics hoping she would understand, expecting her to.

She swallowed, the fight raged in her eyes. He sent a silent prayer, needing her now more than he had ever thought he would. Then, her face softened.

"You have carried firm conviction to my hesitating heart." She answered in his manner, a slight smile graced her lips. It would have been so easy to kiss her then, but doing something easy for love seemed false. Instead, he bestowed a brief kiss to her cheek and then watched her leave the villa into the night until he could see her no more.

* * *

I know, I know, how could she leave!? Read on to find out! Or leave a review about how stupid an idea this is! Or whatever it is you might think! exclamation points!!!


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